Call APC to order over Metuh, PDP tells Buhari

Party (PDP) on Thursday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to
immediately call his All Progressives Congress (APC) members and
some of his appointees to order over their manifest interest and
continued interference in the trial of its former National
Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.

In a statement made available to new men in Abuja on Thursday by
its National Publicity Secretary, Hon Kola Ologbondiyan, the party
also urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghel to
protect the institution of the judiciary and the courts from the
established direct Interferences of the APC and officials of the
Federal Government in the conduct of cases involving its members
and particularly, the former National Publicity Secretary.

Ologbondiyan said that the connection between the timing of
happenings in the court case and the intrusions of the APC in the
entire matter had assumed a worrisome dimension.

The party also said its members have specifically expressed fear
about Chief Metuh’s fate before Justice Okon Abang, a judge, it
said had in the past delivered judgments against the PDP, which
were eventually upturned, after much damage had been done.

According to the statement, “the PDP finds it curious that
interferences are manifesting in Metuh’s case even after the court
had adjourned indefinitely on his application to be allowed to
travel to the UK for surgery.

“This court had twice rejected Chief Metuh’s applications for
medical leave at the initial stage of his ailment, but the
condition of the former PDP spokesman has now degenerated.

“It is on record that people facing similar charges at the
Federal High Court are granted leave to travel for ordinary medical
check-ups and other sundry reasons, but Metuh has had his
application for medical treatment deferred indefinitely and had to
be brought to court for trial even on a hospital stretcher.

“The fact remains that if the court cannot grant Chief Metuh
leave for medical treatment, more so, with the manifest
interference of the APC, then there is absolutely no guarantee that
he can get justice from the
same court at the end of the day and we want the CJN to take
copious note of this.

“The PDP notes that no other application for medical leave has
ever been subjected to a greater burden of proof, ridicule and
undue delay than the case of our former spokesperson.

“We strongly hold that the APC is now manipulating issues around
this case as a reference point to threaten opposition in the
country.

“The APC, in their bid to sway the case, even attempted to
discredit Chief Metuh’s referral to Wellington Hospital, London, by
writing to twist facts about a world-renowned surgeon, just to
prepare grounds for the court to reject his application.

“We, therefore, urge the CJN to rise up in defence of the
judiciary before it is ruined by the APC.

“The CJN should take a closer look at the conduct of Chief
Metuh’s case and take appropriate action to ensure that justice is
not only done at the end of the day but indeed, should be seen to
have been done, but definitely, not under these circumstances of
obvious persecution by the APC.

Party (PDP) on Thursday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to
immediately call his All Progressives Congress (APC) members and
some of his appointees to order over their manifest interest and
continued interference in the trial of its former National
Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.

In a statement made available to new men in Abuja on Thursday by
its National Publicity Secretary, Hon Kola Ologbondiyan, the party
also urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghel to
protect the institution of the judiciary and the courts from the
established direct Interferences of the APC and officials of the
Federal Government in the conduct of cases involving its members
and particularly, the former National Publicity Secretary.

Ologbondiyan said that the connection between the timing of
happenings in the court case and the intrusions of the APC in the
entire matter had assumed a worrisome dimension.

The party also said its members have specifically expressed fear
about Chief Metuh’s fate before Justice Okon Abang, a judge, it
said had in the past delivered judgments against the PDP, which
were eventually upturned, after much damage had been done.

According to the statement, “the PDP finds it curious that
interferences are manifesting in Metuh’s case even after the court
had adjourned indefinitely on his application to be allowed to
travel to the UK for surgery.

“This court had twice rejected Chief Metuh’s applications for
medical leave at the initial stage of his ailment, but the
condition of the former PDP spokesman has now degenerated.

“It is on record that people facing similar charges at the
Federal High Court are granted leave to travel for ordinary medical
check-ups and other sundry reasons, but Metuh has had his
application for medical treatment deferred indefinitely and had to
be brought to court for trial even on a hospital stretcher.

“The fact remains that if the court cannot grant Chief Metuh
leave for medical treatment, more so, with the manifest
interference of the APC, then there is absolutely no guarantee that
he can get justice from the
same court at the end of the day and we want the CJN to take
copious note of this.

“The PDP notes that no other application for medical leave has
ever been subjected to a greater burden of proof, ridicule and
undue delay than the case of our former spokesperson.

“We strongly hold that the APC is now manipulating issues around
this case as a reference point to threaten opposition in the
country.

“The APC, in their bid to sway the case, even attempted to
discredit Chief Metuh’s referral to Wellington Hospital, London, by
writing to twist facts about a world-renowned surgeon, just to
prepare grounds for the court to reject his application.

“We, therefore, urge the CJN to rise up in defence of the
judiciary before it is ruined by the APC.

“The CJN should take a closer look at the conduct of Chief
Metuh’s case and take appropriate action to ensure that justice is
not only done at the end of the day but indeed, should be seen to
have been done, but definitely, not under these circumstances of
obvious persecution by the APC.