Following the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State held on July 20, 2018, an aggrieved aspirant, Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (K. Rad) instituted a civil suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, against the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) praying for nullification of the entire exercise including the results of the controversial primaries. In the suit filed on 27 July 2018, the aspirant prays the court for an order preventing INEC from recognising the results of the said primary election.
A group which identifies itself as Young Democrats has raised an alarm alleging that the leadership of the APC and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu have been making moves to compromise the judge hearing the suit at the Federal High Court, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba.
According to the group, “Sequel to the grant on Tuesday 3rd of September, 2018 of the Applicant’s application for the matter to be heard during the court’s ongoing vacation wherein the judge ordered the matter to come up for hearing on Thursday 13th September, 2018, it has been discovered that the leadership of the APC under the coordination of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been making secret moves to approach Justice Dimgba in order to decide the case in their favour. The secret plan, which involves one of the Registrars of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has the Chief Judge as the main target through whom Justice Dimgba would be compromised.”
In the statement issued and signed by its Coordinator, Yusuf Babatunde and Secretary, Olufunto Sherifa, the group reiterated the need for all to ensure that good governance prevailed in the country by eschewing corruption in all forms. It then called on the judiciary to be above board in order to maintain its sacred place as the last hope of the common man.
The group claimed specifically that its network uncovered “this diabolical plan to compromise the judge based on the coordinated efforts aimed at fighting corruption to a standstill in the judiciary. And members of the public are invited to assist in sustaining this laudable objective.” It also warned the leadership of the APC to halt any moves to destroy Nigeria by compromising all credible institutions. “We are monitoring everyone. We know your current moves and the decisions reached in the party’s latest meetings”, the statement read in part.
