“APC Accused of Bribery in Nullification of Labour Party Candidacies”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been accused of influencing the outcome of the recent controversial judgement against the Labour Party and its candidates in the just-concluded general elections.
According to reports, the party, through one Mr. Ibrahim Haruna-Ibrahim, allegedly bribed Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa, who was serving as a judge in the Federal High Court, to rule in its favour and sack the Labour Party Governor Elect, Dr. Alex Otti, along with other candidates.
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Many wonder how a case can be instituted on May 11 and the judgement delivered on May 18, both within a seven-day period.
The allegations come as part of a wider corruption scandal involving several judges across Nigeria. Justice Nasir-Yunusa was one of several judges suspended by the National Judicial Council in 2016, following an investigation into their conduct. The judge was accused of accepting bribes to influence the outcome of cases in his court, including the Abia State gubernatorial election.
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According to reports, the APC allegedly, through one Mr. Ibrahim Haruna-Ibrahim, who is a plaintiff in the case, offered Justice Nasir-Yunusa a substantial sum of money to rule in his favour that the Labour Party didn’t submit its party register to INEC 30 days before the primary elections and thereby rendered the nominations of the party’s candidates void. The judge is said to have accepted the bribe and issued a controversial ruling that favoured Mr. Ibrahim Haruna-Ibrahim, who is said to be sponsored by the APC.
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The scandal has caused outrage among Nigerians, many of whom have called for a thorough investigation into the matter.
The APC has denied any involvement in the alleged bribery and corruption and has called for a fair and transparent investigation into the matter.
The allegations against Justice Nasir-Yunusa and the wider corruption scandal within the Nigerian judiciary have raised serious questions about the integrity of the country’s legal system.
Many are calling for reforms to be implemented to ensure that judges are held accountable for their actions and that justice is served in a fair and transparent manner.
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Mr. Yunusa’s latest controversial ruling brings his past corrupt practises to the forefront of the discussion. In 2016, the National Judicial Council (NJC) found him guilty of bribery and other judicial misconduct and recommended that he be forced to retire.
President Muhammadu Buhari declined to ratify the NJC recommendation, putting the issue on hold for five years and forcing the judicial body to reinstate Mr. Yunusa.
