Progressives Congress, APC of influencing the verdicts of the
Rivers and Akwa Ibom election tribunal.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, made the
accusation in a statement issued today. The statement read, ''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.
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