E-X-P-O-S-E-D!: How Atiku, PDP hire foreign, domestic columnists, campaigners to blackmail Supreme Court of Nigeria Justices as hearing in their appeal against Buhari’s election victory begins

Nigeria’s governing All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised an alarm about the plot by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to mount an external campaign of calumny against justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

APC made the allegation on Monday ahead of hearing of Atiku and PDP’s appeal, which starts on Wednesday, against the verdict of the Presidential Election Tribunal that dismissed their petitions as unmeritorious.

The APC raised the alarm in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by its National Public Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER.

The statement said: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) alerts Nigerians on a new and sinister plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar to malign Supreme Court Justices using foreign media organisations”

The APC also alleged domestic campaigns of false and destructive news by the PDP and Atiku and urged the justices not to succumb to the subterfuge.

The Party’s Spokesman said: “Ahead of the hearings of the Supreme Court on the 2019 presidential election petition, the All Progressives Congress (APC) alerts Nigerians on a new and sinister plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar to malign Supreme Court Justices using foreign media organisations.

“Among the columnists that have been contracted to make spurious and false publications include Bruce Fein, an American lawyer who served in the Ronald Reagan administration and writes articles in several notable foreign newspapers. Bruce Fein has been paid to publish an “op-ed” on Nigerian Judiciary and the Supreme Court.

“Since 2015, Bruce Fein has written several articles, all critical of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. In 2019, his firm, Fein & DelValle entered into an agreement with the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar to lobby the government of the United States not to recognise the winner of the 2019 presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari, until the election petition is determined by the Supreme Court.

“That plan failed woefully.

“The fresh plot by the opposition PDP after being comprehensively rejected by Nigerians at the 2019 Presidential election is to cause confusion, anarchy with a view to making this country ungovernable.

“It is to be noted that PDP has made up its mind to pursue a destructive agenda against Nigeria for the next four years. This is no longer opposition politics. It is an unpatriotic agenda by people who do not mean well for their country. It is important we continue to alert Nigerian to the devious plan of the PDP.

“The Judiciary is an important institution and its integrity cannot be subjected to political machinations. It is the responsibility of every truly patriotic Nigerian to rise against the PDP to ensure they do not succeed in undermining our corporate existence.

“The judgement of the 2019 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal dismissed in its entirety the petition filed by the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar. We are confident that the Supreme Court will further and finally affirm President Muhammadu Buhari’s election victory.

“We are also confident that the Judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court will not succumb to the opposition PDP’s subterfuge.

“We must continue to resist the unrelenting efforts being made by the PDP and their minions such as the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), few social media worms spreading and promoting face and destructive news in their attempt to truncate our movement towards greatness. As part of the PDP and Atiku’s post-election delusions and scheming, the so called Coalition of United Political Parties has the devious mandate to intimidate and blackmail important state institutions such as INEC, the judiciary, and security agencies, on behalf of PDP.

“APC’s victory at the presidential polls and the election tribunal represents our collective desire as a people to remain focused on the progressive growth and development of our country’s economy, fight against corruption, and providing security.”