PDP decries Presidency’s intrusion in Metuh’s case

macfranc007 February 08, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Nnenna Ibeh

- The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned has condemned presidential intrusion in Olisa Metuh's case

- The PDP said remarks by a presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie, is unwarranted

- The party said such remark has confirmed the interest of the current administration on the matter is beyond seeking justice

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the intrusion of the Presidency on the criminal trial of its former spokesperson, Olisa Metuh.

The party described as "eminently revealing" the comments made by Lauretta Onochie, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari on the trial of Metuh.

A statement signed by the national publicity secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Onochie's mocking of Metuh's health condition as a Nollywood act has confirmed the interest of the current administration on the matter is beyond seeking justice.

Ologbondiyan said the Presidency has been intruding into Chief Metuh’s case since inception just to set up the former spokesperson before the judiciary.

He said: "It is repulsive that a Presidential aide has once again intruded directly, with malicious suggestions, in a matter that is on judicial trial, thus further exposing that Chief Metuh’s travails in the course of the trial, may have been politically hatched and orchestrated.

"It is instructive to state that Chief Metuh, whose spinal chord ailment has badly deteriorated, was brought to court in his current medical state, sequel to the order of the trial judge," Ologbondiyan said.

“It is public knowledge that Justice Abang on January 25, 2018 rejected medical reports from doctors at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, where Chief Metuh had been on admission and ordered him to appear in court on Monday, January 5, 2018 or have his bail revoked. In fact, the judge ruled that he would thenceforth not accept any other report issued by any medical doctor on the accused.

It is therefore irresponsible, wicked and an unpardonable act of inhumanity, for the presidency or any of its agents to mock Chief Metuh for obeying the order of court, even in his current state of health.

“While we are not opposed to the trial of any of our members for any matter whatsoever, we insist that the process must be fair, without external influences and in strict compliance with provisions of the law," Ologbondiyan added.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app

NAIJ.com earlier reported that the former publicity secretary of the party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, arrived the court in an ambulance on Monday, February 5.

Metuh was brought into the courtroom on a stretcher due a spinal cord ailment.

It was gathered that the doctors had said he was in a critical condition and had left the hospital premises at his own peril.

Nigerians want PDP back in 2019 - Goodluck Jonathan declares at PDP Caucus Meeting - on NAIJ.com TV