By Danlami Nmodu
Nigeria’s Presidency has denied reports of an alleged plot to order the arrest of Chief Justice of the Federation,Walter Onnoghen. The presidency also debunked another alleged plot to frame Supreme Court Justices.
Presidential Spokesman,Femi Adesina referred the allegations as fake story.”
He said in a statement Saturday: “We have read with considerable concern and surprise, the fake news of the Presidency’s alleged plan to arrest the Chief Justice of Nigeria and frame three other Supreme Court Justices.
“This false story is being peddled by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) apparently to set the judiciary against the executive and cause major confusion ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
According to Adesina, “The story is absolutely false as the Presidency is not in any way involved in plotting against or framing anybody.
It could be recalled that Onnoghen was recently dragged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged failure to declare his assets and other allegations bordering on money laundering.Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that President Muhammadu Buhari was not aware of the moves that culminated in the arraignment of Onnoghen.
Addressing the matter in a statement Saturday, Presidential Spokesman, Adesina said, “We note that the findings of the Code of Conduct Bureau against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and the allegations arising from them, are being handled by the courts in the normal way, as is expected in a democratic society like ours. The Presidency has not, and will certainly not, interfere in the process.
“We, however, want to draw the attention of the general public to this or similar false stories, which are ill motivated to further the political interests of their sponsors.”
“While the Buhari administration is very firmly committed to the fight against corruption, we want to assure the general public that Government will always pursue its mission with the highest standards of fairness, and in strict conformity with the relevant laws,” Adesina said.
