By Ben Ogbemudia
Some Senior Advocates of Nigeria on Tuesday took protest to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami over the invasion of Justice Mary Odili Abuja home last week Friday.
The SAN include Adegboyega Awomolo, Professor Yemi Akinseye-George, Jibrin Okutepa, at the Minister office warned that the ugly development threatens judicial independence and the nation’s democracy.
Awomolo shortly after their meeting told journalists, that the group also plans to meet with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) on the issues.
The Senior lawyers demanded an immediate probe of last Friday’s siege on the house and the perpetrators to be brought to book.
Responding, Dr. Umar Gwandu, the media aide to the AGF said Malami denied the involvement of his office in the incident and that he has written relevant security agencies to investigate the development.
UniAbuja attack shows helplessness, failures of Buhari’s administration failure….- PDP
Meanwhile the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP said that the assault on Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court is a renewed plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hijack the 2023 election as it did in 2019.
The party described the attack on Justice Odili as horrendous, rascally, irresponsible, completely unjustified and should not be swept under the carpet on the guise of misleading whistleblower operation.
According to Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary,
“This is more so as the pawprints of the APC are visible in the incident, in its desperation to cow the judiciary and subvert the cause of justice ahead of the 2023 elections.
” It is clear that the attack on Justice Odili is part of a renewed script by the APC. Nigerians will recall how, ahead of the 2019 election, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, was clandestinely yanked off from his hallowed chamber, preparatory to the massive rigging that characterized the 2019 Presidential election.
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“Nigerians can equally recall how respected judges were assaulted by the APC administration through obnoxious sting operations in a bid to arm-twist the judiciary and set the stage for the endorsement of a culture of impunity that characterized the 2019 elections.
The PDP however cautions the APC and its Presidency apparatchik to know that times have changed. Nigerians are not ready to stomach a repeat of APC’s coordinated assault on our institutions of democracy, but will firmly resist them with every means available within the ambit of the law.
The party also urges the judiciary to remain firm and not be deterred by the suppressive proclivities of the fizzling APC, that has since been rejected by Nigerians.
The PDP calls on Nigerians to stand in defence of our democracy by continuing in their demand that the real perpetrators of the attack on Justice Mary Odili be exposed and brought to book.
