election tribunal verdicts in both Rivers and Akwa Ibom
state. The Akwa Ibom state election petition tribunal few
days ago had nullified the state governorship election in
18 Local governments and ordered a rerun. PDP's
reaction is contained in a statement released this
afternoon by its National Publicity secretary Olisa
Metuh. Read after the cut..
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declares the
verdict of the River state governorship election tribunal
sitting in Abuja, which showed clear bias against
Governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP, as completely
bizarre, unacceptable and part of the script by the APC
to manipulate the will of the people.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a
statement on Saturday said indications to this spurious
judgment had months ago been hinted to the PDP,
which in turn, alerted the nation and the international
community of the heinous plot by the APC government,
to use the judiciary and various security agencies to
reverse the victory of the PDP in Rivers, Delta, Akwa-
Ibom, Taraba and Abia states.
“We invite Nigerians and the international community to
recall various reprehensible steps taken by the APC
government that culminated in this ruling as well as the
ridiculous Wednesday’s verdict of the Akwa-Ibom state
governorship election tribunal, also sitting in Abuja.
1. The curious and controversial relocation of the
elections tribunals from their states to Abuja without any
justification.
2. The constant juggling of judicial officers and
members of governorship elections tribunal in PDP
states, especially, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom states.
3. Constant harassment of judicial and electoral officers
involved in the governorship election cases in these
state, using agencies of government, particularly, the
Directorate of State Services (DSS) under the direct
command of a known APC member, Alhaji Lawal Daura.
4. Constant threats, intimidation and coercing of
witnesses against the PDP in the tribunals.
5. The recent mass transfer of security operatives,
especially the DSS and police personnel that actually
participated in the conduct of the elections in Rivers and
Akwa-Ibom, ostensibly to frustrate the course of genuine
evidences in the process.
“The bias in the judgment against the PDP in Rivers as
well as Akwa-Ibom is evidenced in the contradictions
inherent in the trial process of the two cases and the
verdicts therein, whereby the tribunals clearly
disregarded standing legal norm that a petitioner must
establish prove of claims.
“Also curious is the fact that after both the petitioner
and respondent agreed before the tribunal that both card
reader and manual accreditations were used for the
election, the tribunal still went ahead to base its
decision on issues of card reader.
While it is convenient to them to use legal technicalities
to deny PDP victory in Imo, Lagos, Ogun and Yobe
states, the same rules are misapplied to wickedly favour
APC petitioners in Rivers and Akwa-Ibom states.
“It is therefore evinced that these contradictions are
direct fall-out of compromises as well as boasts by the
APC of being in direct and remote control of the
tribunals. If not, how can one explain the fact that while
governorship elections are being upturned in PDP states,
in APC states, where similar claims and facts are in
contention, elections are being upheld.
“Further proof of bias by the Rivers tribunal is the fact
that less than 24 hours after various counsels submitted
nine written addresses and documents, the tribunal
rushed its notice of judgment, an action ostensibly
aimed at ambushing the pending Supreme Court action
on the issue of jurisdiction regarding the relocation of
the tribunal outside River state, which was due to be
delivered on Tuesday.
“This is not withstanding the fact that the tribunal has
up to seven days after of receipt of addresses, to deliver
its judgment, but chose instead, to rush to deliver this
spurious verdict even on a Saturday, a development
eliciting suspicion that the judgment may have since
been predetermined and written even before the
commencement of the case.
“The PDP calls on all Nigerians and the international
community to note this growing manipulation of the
judiciary by the APC government, a factor which
portends great danger to our democracy and the stability
of our country.
“Nigerians would want to recall that under the PDP-led
government with former President Goodluck Jonathan’s
commitment to the tenets of democracy as encapsulated
in the safeguard of ‘one man one vote’ and the
independence of the judiciary, the PDP conceded
electoral defeat in Edo, Anambra, and Imo states without
attempting to collect victory through executive
manipulation of the judicial process.
“The PDP restates unequivocally that this judgments
must not stand in view of the prevailing inherent
contradictions, in addition to the huge threat they
portend to our democracy and national stability.
“Finally, the PDP charges all lovers of democracy,
particularly our members in Rivers and Akwa-Ibom state
not to be daunted, as these judgments will not stand the
test of the law and the will of the people. We therefore
reassure that the PDP will do all within the ambit of the
law to resist this criminal attempt by the APC to steal
and thwart the will of the people.
Signed:
Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary
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