Never! Patience Jonathan won’t appear before ICC, Says PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization  has said wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, will not appear before the International Criminal Court.

It said there was no basis for her to be reported to the internal court in the first place.

Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, stated this at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

Fani-Kayode was reacting to the claim by the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, that it had reported the First Lady to the ICC.

Patience was reported to have told supporters of the PDP at its rally in Cross Rivers State to stone anyone canvassing for change in the state.

“Change” is the slogan of the APC. 

In its complain to the ICC, the APC through its Director-General, Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, who is also the Governor of Rivers State, said the wife of the President was calling on the supporters of the ruling party to attack those of the APC.

But Fani-Kayode described Patience as woman of peace and that her speech didn’t propel anyone to take into violence.

The former Minister of Aviation added that those that dragged the wife of the President to ICC were not educated on issue of international law.

He said if they were, they would have known that individuals are not taken to the court on the basis of their speech.

He said, “It is pertinent to note that, first of all, if they were a little better educated and had a better understanding of international law and how the ICC works, they would appreciate the fact that no individual is ever taken to the ICC based on what he or she has said unless, and until people act on those words and massacre others.   

“It is only if that speech is followed by violence and mayhem or if it incites people to commit violence, which results in death, mass murder and crimes against humanity, that the person who indulged in such hate speech becomes an eligible candidate for the ICC. 

“Dame Patience Jonathan is a woman of peace. She did not threaten anyone with violence; she did not incite anyone to commit violence or to kill others and her words have not resulted in death, mass murder or any crimes against humanity.  

“We therefore completely reject the baseless charge and assertion that she has called for the killing or slaughter of anyone at any point in time.”

He described the threat to take the First Lady to the ICC as not only absurd but also what he described as “ranting of a perfidious, desperate, decaying and dying political party and such threat will amount to nothing.”

He said if anyone was to be taken to the court, it must be the Presidential Candidate of the APC,   Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.).

Fani-Kayode also alleged that the APC was planning hate documentary on the private lives of the President, his wife and that of the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

He said the special operations and intelligence wing of his directorate got wind of the plan.