Benue Equity and Justice Movement has accused the Benue People’s Democratic Party Governorship candidate, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa of plan to manipulate the Judiciary in order to buy the planned November 16 judgement in the eligibility suit against him.
It will be recalled that the Supreme Court had few years ago banned Mr. Aondoakaa from holding public offices for life as a result of his manipulation of justice while he was Attorney General of the Federation under the PDP regime of former President Umaru Yar’Adua.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, then a Justice of the Supreme Court and now the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), delivered the Supreme Court’s unanimous judgment on December 10, 2021, affirming the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Calabar Division, which had upheld a Federal High Court decision barring the former minister, who served under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, from occupying any public office in Nigeria for life.
In the Court of Appeal’s judgement on June 1, 2010, Justice A.F.A. Ademola ordered, “1. A declaration is hereby made that the 2nd Defendant undermined and subverted the rule of law, the due administration of justice and integrity of the judiciary in the letters of 8th January, 2008 and 16th February 2009 written by him in the capacity of the Defendant. “2. A declaration is hereby made that 2nd Defendant is not a competent, fit and proper person to hold office as the 1st Defendant having regards to the oaths of Allegiance and office.
Also recalled that the 2027 governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement, Mr. Damian Adagba had in September asked the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove Aondoakaa’s name from its official portal as the governorship candidate of the PDP as a result of the Supreme Court Judgement.
Also, in a suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2152/2026 which was instituted by David Ejembi, Aondoaver Teryila, Joseph Okpanachi and Benedict Akaazua Orkume against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP and Aondoakaa, the plaintiffs urged the Federal High Court in Abuja on October to stop the former AGF from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the PDP.
Following the arguments by the lawyers of the People’s Democratic Party, Mr. Aondoakaa and the plaintiffs, the court adjourned the matter to November 16, 2026, for judgment.
But in a press statement which was sent to reporters this morning, Benue Equity and Justice Movement through its General Secretary, Mr. Kingsley Asema said that the pressure group has received Intel which revealed plans by the embattled PDP governorship candidate to bribe the Judge handling the case.
“We have it on a good authority that Barrister Michael Aondoakaa, having realized that the eligibility suit against him in court would not go in his favour based on various evidences that he had been barred from holding any public office, has been holding series of meetings with his political godfather, Mr. Samuel Ortom and legal team led by a former Secretary to the Benue State Government, Mr. Tony Ijohor on the possible way to bribe the Judge handling the case.
“The final meeting on how to manipulate the planned November 16 judgement was held in Jos last Friday, and in attendance were Chief Aondoakaa, Barrister Tony Ijohor, Barrister Clement Mue, Anthony Malik, and Barrister Matthew Onoja.
“We also have proofs that it was the legal team led by Ijohor that advised Aondoakaa to reach out to the judge through an unnamed Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Jos when it was clear that he may be declared ineligible to contest the 2027 governorship election”
Meanwhile, Benue Equity and Justice Movement in the press statement called on the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja as well as the Chief Judge of Nigeria to rescue the Judiciary which is the last succour for a common man from the former AGF who is moving fastly to buy the eligibility judgement which has been fixed for November 16, 2026.
The group stated further that Aondoakaa’s case is a litmus test for the Nigerian Judiciary, noting that selling judgement to him will prove that the Judiciary is no longer a succour for a common man.