Posted by Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation on
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mike Aondoakaa (SAN), yesterday denied allegation that the Federal Government has given $30million to Supreme Court Justices to influence the judgment of the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mike Aondoakaa (SAN), yesterday denied allegation that the Federal Government has given $30million to Supreme Court Justices to influence the judgment of the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal.
The election of President Umaru Yar'Adua is being challenged at the apex court by the presidential candidates of the Action Congress, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
Aondoakaa, who spoke exclusively with The Nation challenged any Nigerian with any proof of alleged inducement to expose the deal.
He said: "Those behind the rumours are cheap people. Their sponsors are cheap people. The President is of the highest moral standard, he cannot get himself involved.
"And all attempts to discredit the President and destroy the institution, God will not allow it.
"I saw the publication on the internet. This is geared to create distraction because the hearing of the Presidential Election Appeal is pending. They want to distract the President.
"As for me, that kind of cheap blackmail will not deter me from my focus. If they say they gave me $30million, the Lord knows that I did not get $30million from anybody as it were.
"I have several allegations against me but my defence is that my conscience knows that I have not done it.
"All they do in their own spare is to sit down and think of what they can do to desecrate the office of the President and to desecrate the office of the Attorney-General."
He said: "Neither the President nor I will influence the outcome of the Presidential Election Appeal. There is no basis for that."
Aondoakaa challenged anybody or group with evidence of such a bribe to expose him.
He added: "If anybody is going about soliciting for funds in the name of assisting the President or the AGF to win the Presidential Election Appeal, he should be reported immediately to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the State Security Service or the nearest police station.
"Anybody or group of persons going about soliciting for any support on behalf of the President in the ongoing case at the Supreme Court will be arrested.
"Anybody who has evidence of bribe offer to Justices of the Supreme Court should give it to the EFCC or the police. The President is committed to the rule of law and he is of high ethical standard to be involved in such a thing."
On the alleged employ of a UK-based businessman, Terry Waya, by his office to extort money from governors and highly-placed Nigerians with cases in EFCC, he said he does not have any business deal with the detained bigwig.
He said: "If he implicates me, let me defend myself, I am not above anything. I know Terry Waya because he comes from the same environment with me but I have no business deal with him. I know him closer when I came to Abuja but I have no business deal with him.
"I have nothing to do with him. There are many times when people are in trouble, they can try to use people as a shield. I have nothing to do with him."
On the purported arrest of his younger brother by the SSS with billions of Naira in his account, the AGF said: "There is nothing like that. Here is my brother with me. He is a student of the Nasarawa State University . He is not in SSS custody.
"It is deeper than that. This is a period of Presidential Election Appeal and some people are desperate to do anything."