Ebonyi Govt Denies Plan of N1bn Bribe for Tribunal Cases

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State Government has denied the allegations that it set aside N1billion to bribe the judiciary and influence the judgments in the cases before the electoral tribunal in favour of candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Briefing newsmen in Abakaliki, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Mr. Jude Okpor, noted that the allegation was baseless, unfounded and unfortunate.

 Okpor added that the Ebonyi State Governor, Mr. Francis Nwifuru, has unshakable confidence in the Nigerian judicial and had no reason to panic over the outcome of the cases before the tribunal.

He said: “The attention of the Ebonyi State Government has been drawn to a fictitious guerrilla media outfit singlehandedly operated by one Paschal Oluchukwu who resides in the UAE.

“It is unfortunate that politicians who were rejected by the Ebonyi people during the last general elections could hire a man who was not in Ebonyi State during the elections to make libelous statements against the judges of the tribunal and the entire Nigerian judiciary just to score cheap political points.

“It is clear that Oluchukwu has not considered Nigeria’s integrity before the international community while struggling to tickle the egos of his paymasters.

“The government of Ebonyi State respects the judiciary and its lordships. Our unshakable confidence in the Nigerian judicial system is not in doubt.

“The governor has no reason to panic over the outcome of the cases in the election tribunal since he was overwhelmingly voted into office alongside other candidates of the APC by the good people of Ebonyi State.”.

“Governor Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru is aware that the tribunal judges are men of integrity and impeccable character who can never stoop so low as to demand or accept any form of financial inducement from anyone or a group of people.

“Ebonyi  State Government under the leadership of our God-fearing governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru has never planned to bribe, either directly or by proxy any member of the judiciary or its representative to bend the course of justice.”

The commissioner further called on the general public to disregard the allegations as it was part of the antics of the opposition elements to destabilise the smooth administration of Governor Nwifuru in the state.