From Fred Itua, Abuja
The fight against corruption in Nigeria has taken a new dimension as calls for visa ban, against allegedly corrupt judges and justices in the High Courts and Court of Appeal, have gained momentum.
Clifford Abbo, who represented Adamawa North senatorial district in 9th and 10th Senate before the nullification of his mandate by the Court of Appeal on October 16, 2023, said he will not stop until corrupt judges are sacked.
Specifically, the embattled senator had, at a similar press conference in Abuja last week, said he had filed petitions against Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, Olabode Adegbehingbe and Muhammad Sirajo, to the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) over their judgment in the electoral case between him and Amos Kumai of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He alleged the justices carried out judicial coup against democracy by nullifying election he won with close to 12,000 votes against his closest rival through cancellation of votes in 253 polling units out of 924 polling units in Adamawa North senatorial district.
He said while he is awaiting response on petitions filed against the allegedly corrupt justices from President Bola Tinubu, the CJN, Kayode Ariwoola, and the NJC, he has also petitioned the United States of America, European Union and United Kingdom, to slam visa ban against the affected justices.
“The cause I am fighting is not a personal one between me and Nwosu-Iheme and others but between good and bad.
“War against corruption in Nigeria must be taken to the judiciary where some judges and justices are carrying out judicial banditry or coup against democracy through unjustifiable nullification of elections of people validly voted for by Nigerian electorate.
“Such judicial banditry must be fought in and outside the country by calling for visa ban on the affected judges and justices and even revocation of visas of their family members already resident in abroad.
“Once my petition to NJC is treated, I am ready to open the pandora box as regards calls made to me by agents of the corrupt justices for bribe during electoral litigation against me.
“As cried out last week, President Tinubu, the CJN and NJC should to save our judiciary by withdrawing the membership of Nwosu-Iheme from the Supreme Court justices.
“She should also on her own resign from the bench because as long as she remains there, people like me, will not stop telling the whole world, the banditry she is running in the judiciary. A bad judge is worse than 100 terrorists,” he said.