PDP Raps Salami, Says He Betrayed Judiciary, Colleagues The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday took on the former President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Isa Salami, stating that it was the retired justice who betrayed the judiciary and his colleagues on the bench. The PDP also said by the comments made by Justice Salami, he had cast aspersions on the integrity of the person of President Goodluck Jonathan and his office. Justice Salami had during his valedictory speech last week claimed that his colleagues on the bench had betrayed him. But the PDP, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said: “It is highly unfortunate that after spending about 45 years in the judiciary, Justice Salami will chose to betray the institution and his colleagues and cast aspersions on highly revered judicial figures such as Justices Katsina-Alu and Dahiru Musdapher, who served Nigeria meritoriously and were not known to align themselves with politicians whether in secret or in private as in the case of Justice Salami who now sits with his accomplices in the defunct ACN and try to mar their records of service to the nation.” In defence of President Jonathan, whom the PDP said the comments of Justice Salami cast aspersion on, the party said it was under his administration separation of powers and respect for the Rule of Law reached its highest ebb, such that there were no Executive/ Legislative face off and court judgments that were obeyed. According to PDP, under the administration of President Jonathan, elections have been free, fair and credible and have resulted in about 100 per cent reduction in election petition cases. “Our candid advice to Justice Salami is that it is impossible to gain the confidence of new friends by betraying old friends,” the party stated. The party also said contrary to reports, the National Judicial Council (NJC), found Justice Salami guilty of having perjured himself and lying against the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu. “It is public knowledge that the Council suspended Justice Salami, following his refusal to abide by its directive to apologise to Justice Katsina-Alu. Furthermore, in exercise of its powers under our laws, the NJC not only suspended Justice Salami, but recommended to President Jonathan that he should retire him immediately. “It is also public knowledge that President Jonathan, being a man governed by the Rule of Law, refused to take sides or interfere in the matter and chose to allow the judiciary sort out its complications in the Salami affairs, more so as Justice Salami had gone to court to challenge the findings of the NJC. “This is even in the face of damning evidences against Justice Salami including the testimony of MTN Nigeria which admitted in an open court that call logs tendered in evidence were in fact true records of a series of calls between leaders of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Justice Salami who presided over the Court of Appeal that over-turned governorship elections in Osun, Ekiti and Edo States in favour of the CAN “The fact that President Jonathan did not retire Justice Salami as recommended by the NJC is a stand for which Justice Salami should be grateful to the President who decide to be neutral in the matter,” Metuh said. PDP said it was an irony of fate that instead of Justice Salami quietly returning to his home, he decided to play to the gallery. “Justice Salami’s public romance with the beneficiaries of the controversial ruling of his court, including governors, who won their seats by virtue the ruling and as other ACN chieftains at his book launch recently, openly betrays the hidden facts regarding the handling of the election appeals under him. This clearly raises issues regarding his culpability by association to pervert the course of justice in the issue,” the statement said.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 06:11:27 +0000
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