Osun election: APC, Appeal Court President, Bulkachuwa are close – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, has close ties with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

PDP said such could cause bias in the petition it filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC candidate, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Diran Odeyemi, said this in a statement at the weekend.

It 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.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Thursday, frowned at the disbanding of the panel by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachwa.

He alleged the APC had been mounting pressure on the judiciary to deny the PDP justice in the determination of the Osun governorship election dispute at the tribunal.