Osun PDP alleges Appeal Court president close to APC

The Peoples Democratic Party has expressed concern over the
alleged closeness of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice
Zainab Bulkachuwa, to the All Progressives Congress.

The opposition party said it was not comfortable with the
alleged relationship of Bulkachuwa with the APC, which was one of
the respondents in the petition filed against the Independent
National Electoral Commission and the APC candidate, Alhaji Gboyega
Oyetola.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Diran
Odeyemi, in the statement on Saturday, said since the President of
the Court of Appeal was the one saddled with the responsibility of
constituting election petitions tribunals, there could be possible
political interference in the composition of the new Governorship
Election Petition Tribunal for Osun State.

The statement read, “The eldest son of Justice Zainab
Bulkachuwa, Abubakar Bulkachuwa, was until recently a governorship
aspirant of the APC in Gombe State. Her husband was also known to
be a foundation member of the defunct Congress for Progressive
Change.

“We are worried that the sudden disbandment of the tribunal
earlier set up by the President of the Court of Appeal might be due
to the insistence of members of the disbanded panel to do justice
in the petition without fear or favour.

“We equally have it on good authority that senior members of the
APC and the Osun State Government have boasted in several quarters
that the new panel chairman and members are recommended by
governors elected on the platform of the party as those who would
do the bidding of the APC.

But the APC expressed disgust at what it described as the
shenanigans of the PDP over the protest staged against the
dissolution of the tribunal hearing.

The party’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy in Osun
State, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, in a statement made available to our
correspondent in Osogbo, described the PDP’s allegation and protest
as “irresponsible” and “an act of desperation.”