The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has said that party members are not shielded from prosecution, stressing that those facing trial must retain their fundamental human rights until they are convicted by a court of law.
Yilwatda made the remarks during an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, maintaining that the APC would not deprive its members of their rights simply because they were facing criminal prosecution.
According to the APC chairman, some members of the ruling party are already undergoing prosecution and regularly appearing in court, The News Edition reports.
He argued that the presumption of innocence must be respected until a court establishes an individual’s guilt.
“Nobody is protected. I don’t want to mention names, but I know members of our party who are undergoing prosecution and appear in court every day,” Yilwatda said.
He added that the party could not use the fact that a member was facing prosecution as a justification for denying that individual their fundamental human rights.
“As long as you have not been convicted, we assume you’re innocent because that’s what the law says,” he stated.
Yilwatda further maintained that the APC could not deny its members their rights simply because they were facing prosecution.
“So, as APC members, we can’t use strict prosecutions to go ahead and deny people their fundamental human rights,” he said.
His comments come amid ongoing public discussions about accountability, anti-corruption efforts and the treatment of political figures facing prosecution in Nigeria.
The principle of presumption of innocence is a fundamental aspect of the justice system, meaning that a person accused of an offence is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the law.