Onoja’s Inauguration As Kogi Dep. Gov., A Nullity, Atrocious – PDP

BY SAMUEL ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday dismissed the inauguration of a shadow deputy governor in Kogi state, stressing that it is a complete nullity, which has no place under our laws.

The party also described as scandalous to the judicial system, that the Chief Judge of Kogi state, Justice Nasir Ajana, whose panel acquitted the state deputy governor, Elder Simon Achuba, of any misconduct, suddenly flipped to conform with an odious plot by Governor Yahaya Bello to forcefully remove the deputy governor.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan noted that the action of the Kogi Chief Judge has heavily jeopardized the integrity of the judiciary and capable of bringing the institution to public disrepute if not immediately checked.

Ologbondiyan further said; “Our party insists that the Chief Judge of Kogi state, in staging an illegal inauguration of Edward Onoja, as a deputy governor, while the office has not become constitutionally vacant, amounts to gross misconduct, which cannot be accommodated under our laws.

“The PDP alerts that this is a clear demonstration of the reprehensible and sacrilegious design by Governor Yahaya Bello to entangle, drag down and corrupt the institution of the judiciary, cause a constitutional crisis, trigger mayhem and derail the smooth conduct of the November 16, governorship election in the state.

“This is because there is no way there can be two deputy governors in the same state, more so as the people of Kogi state had already registered their anger and resentment against this illegality in the public space.” 

The opposition party therefore called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mohammed Tanko, to take immediate steps to save Kogi State from a plunge into anarchy and chaos.

The PDP spokesman said Nigeria is a nation governed by law and nobody must be allowed to set aside the constitution and corrupt the democratic order for his or her selfish and repressive agenda.