Kenneth Okonkwo, a Nigerian Actor, Lawyer, Columnist and Politician has replied to the purported petition written by the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ajibola Basiru, to the NBA against him for disagreeing with the judgement of the Supreme Court on the petition appeal of HE Peter Obi and the Labour Party.
In a response personally signed by Bar. Kenneth Okonkwo Esq, he said that as a Lawyer, Columnist and Scholar in law, he has the right, and indeed the duty, like every other lawyer, to critically analyse judgements of courts to further enrich the body of knowledge and he does not expect political merchants like Basiru to understand that.
The full text is below:
“My attention has been drawn to the statement credited to one Senator Ajibola Basiru, the NEC appointed National Secretary of the failed APC, that has impoverished Nigerians by making the naira exchange for N1,200 to a dollar and making them buy fuel at N640 per litre for the first time in history.
“Rather than bemoaning the fate of his failed Party and the hardship his party has imposed on Nigerians, it’s not surprising that this ignorant Ajibola will want to divert the attention of Nigerians from these maladies by purportedly petitioning NBA against Kenneth Okonkwo for disagreeing with the judgement of the Supreme Court on the petition appeal of HE Peter Obi and Labour Party.
“I don’t normally like responding to statements of very rude, crude and uncouth people like Basiru who has called the Petitioners and Peter Obi stupid, foolish and treasonable on Channels TV with Seun for going to court to bring a petition against the victory of APC and its candidate which is the acceptable behaviour of every civilised person worldwide.
“He has also quarrelled with his Governor on a hallowed Mosque ground when he was urged to respect the protocol of the order of sitting arrangement of personalities which he arrogantly refused and which resulted in the attack and whisking away of a sitting Governor from the Mosque in his own state. What can be more treasonable?
“It’s unfortunate that such a character can have the effrontery to ignorantly petition the NBA on the ground that a Lawyer, who represented a party in a court, respectfully disagreed with the judgement of the Supreme Court, but accepted it as a democrat. Let me reiterate, I respectfully disagree with the judgement of the Supreme Court but accept it as a democrat and I stand by it.
“As a Lawyer, Columnist and Scholar in law, I have the right, and indeed the duty, like every other lawyer, to critically analyse judgements of courts to further enrich our body of knowledge and I do not expect political merchants like Basiru to understand that.
“I, however, expect the NBA to use people like Basiru to show an example to the world that the NBA frowns at intimidating its members from expressing their views on all issues by reprimanding this erratic and errant human being for dragging NBA’s name to the mud by creating the impression that it can punish its members for exercising their freedom of expression on national issues. I expect the NBA to protect my rights as a member and this will be a litmus test of whether the NBA still exists to protect the rights of its members or exist as an accomplice of the ruling party to punish its members.
“No wonder, Comrade Julius Abure, National Chairman of Labour Party, recently alerted Nigerians that APC has marked out Peter Obi, himself, and people like Kenneth Okonkwo for destruction. It’s now plain that APC, using attack dogs like Basiru, are now manifesting their evil agenda gradually to destroy our livelihoods and probably our lives in order to silence the opposition and Nigerians should take note of this. We will see with time, whether NBA will lend its name to be used to start this evil agenda by Basiru and APC.
“As a believer in God, who is sure that I am fighting a just cause, I prophecy that Basiru and his failed Party, APC, will receive the abundance of all the evil they are planning against the opposition and Nigerians on their heads and on the heads of all their evil collaborators.
“I am not ready to live on my knees, I am not ready to buy my life and peace at the price of chains and slavery. In any case, you are already dead, according to Martin Luther King Jnr, if you cannot stand up for the truth, for your rights and for justice.
