Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has approached a High Court in Federal Capital Territory, asking it to bar President Muhammadu Buhari and security agencies in the country from interfering with the general election.
Atiku
further asked the court to compel Buhari to pay him damages in the
aggregate sum of N2 billion, as well as tender a public apology to him,
for sponsoring frivolous suits against him.
The demands were
contained in a counter-claim the PDP presidential candidate filed in
response to a N40 million libel suit the Buhari Campaign Organisation,
BCO, slammed against him over an allegation that he defamed Buhari and
his family.
The BCO had in its suit marked FCT/HC/CV/804/2019,
accused Atiku and his aide, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, of making several
defamatory statement in the media, to the effect that Buhari used his
position as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and head of
the government to fraudulently acquire two private companies, Keystone
Bank Plc and 9Mobile Communication Ltd for himself, his family members,
and friends.
Meanwhile, Atiku, in a counter-claim filed through
his lawyer, Mr. Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume, SAN, challenged the competence of
the suit he said was highly frivolous.
He applied for an order
mandating that the N2 billion damages to be paid by President Buhari and
the BCO, be sent to all the camps of Internally Displaced People, IDPs,
across the country and for equipment of libraries and information
technology equipment for all state universities in Nigeria.
More
so, Atiku, sought an order, “mandating President Buhari and his
agents, including security operatives and officers to abide by the rule
of law and the principle of separation of powers entrenched in the
constitution and should not intervene in the forthcoming elections.”
In
a 56-paragraphed witness statement on oath deposed to by one Abraham
Udoh, the PDP presidential flag-bearer told the court that President
Buhari had failed Nigerians by his inability as a President to stop
ruthless and wanton killings across the country.
Killings, destruction
He
said the killings and destruction had rendered citizens, farmers, women
and children homeless without food or basic amenities of life, as well
as led to the emergence of various IDP camps in the country.
He
said: “That under the present administration, there are over 108,000
Internally Displaced Persons grappling with a litany of infections and
hunger.”
“In Taraba State, number of IDPs in the various camps
are: Mayo Dassa (402 IDPs); Gullong (1259), ATC Kofai (968), Abuja I and
II (357), Dorowa/Magami/Malam Joda (579), Sabon Gari (482), Malum
(872), Murtai/Yaukani/Yelwa(554), Mile six (74), Nyabukaka/Tutan
Kurma/Kasa (148) and Nukkai (30).
“That in Plateau State there
are a total of 38,051 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, who were
victims of June 23 and 24 violence involving suspected herdsmen and
villagers in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Mangu, Bokkos and Jos South Local
Government Areas are taking refuge in 31 camps.
“That in Benue
State they have registered more than 180,000 displaced persons in eight
camps while over 500, 000 IDPs are taking shelter wherever they find
space.”
Atiku further informed the court that President Buhari’s
“lopsided appointments and insensitivity to the principle of Federal
Character laid down in section 14 (3) of the 1999 constitution has led
to disunity amongst Nigerians.
“That the current division in
Nigeria was ignited by that infamous 5 per cent versus 97per cent speech
that President Buhari gave in Washington on June 23, 2015. No father
should ever tell some of his kids in the presence of the rest of his
kids that he loves them more than the others. When this happens, the
discontent that it will cause may lead to the breakup of that home.
“That
in a report by Transparency International, TI, released on February 21,
2018, Nigeria was still ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in
the World.
“That the inability of the Buhari administration to
combat grand corruption has led to astronomical plundering of public
coffers costing the Nigerian taxpayers around 25 per cent of annual
Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“That according to a recent report
released by International Monetary Fund, IMF, on February 28, 2018,
Nigerians are getting poorer despite the country’s slow recovery from a
devastating recession.”
‘Illegal’ CJN
Atiku further told
the court that Buhari’s desecration of the judicial process of the
nation, led to high tension and democratic instability in the country.
“That
Buhari in flagrant abuse of his veto power, without any unilateral
support from other tiers of government illegally and unconstitutionally
suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, from
office on January 25, 2019 without strict adherence to the provisions of
section 292 of the 1999 constitution which laid down the procedure for
the removal of a judicial officer in his capacity.”
Source:- Vanguardngr
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