INEC is demonstrating copious partisanship at the tribunal
Emmanuel Thomas l Sunday, May 7, 2023
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has raised the alarm about plot by the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC to compromise judges handling petitions against President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the tribunal through heavy financial inducements and trumped up charges to coerce judicial officers from fearlessly rendering judgement in petitions before them.
Addressing a press conference few minutes ago in Abuja, Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Debo Onogulagba said that certain top officials of the ruling APC are behind the plots to influence the judiciary to render judgement in the favour of the APC at all cost at the tribunal and at the Supreme Court, despite the volume of evidence against the party.
He also alluded to the statement of the President-elect in Port Harcourt, where he said he plans to raise emolument for judicial officers, a development the PDP sees as nothing but patronage, with petitions against him before judges.
The party also questioned the rational for Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC , Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who ought to be an independent umpire for opting to defend Tinubu in an election that is widely flawed with manipulations, writing and adjustment of results in the February 2023 general election, which has not been accepted by majority of Nigerians.
He also accused the INEC chairman of partisanship in the election by the way he is carrying himself at the tribunal calling on judges to throw out petitioners instead of remaining as an independent umpire, and guarding jealously results that are flawed with open manipulations.
He called on the APC to allow the judges operate without any interference and desist from threat to slam charges of treason on Nigerians who are speaking out against the decision of INEC to make Tinubu President elect despite the very damaging allegations against his person at the tribunal.
Press Conference by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Debo Ologunagba on The Public Anxieties Over Alleged Plots by the APC to Influence the Outcome of the Petitions Before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
Gentlemen of the press, the PDP has invited you this evening to alert Nigerians and the International Community of the shocking revelations, reports and allegations of plots by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to influence the outcome of the Presidential election Petition currently pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The PDP also alerts of recent intimidation, harassment, threats and vicious attacks by APC leaders against Nigerian youths and eminent Nigerian personalities for speaking out against APC’s planned moves to install a government that does not enjoy the mandate of majority of Nigerians as expressed at the Polling Units.
The alleged planned onslaught by APC leaders on eminent Nigerians and our democratic institutions, including the Judiciary, stems from APC’s apprehensions given the weight of evidence against it as well as the continuing refusal by majority of Nigerians to accept the outcome of the flawed Presidential election.
There are apprehensions in the public space, having regards to the reputation of certain individuals within the highest level of the APC who have demonstrated capacity and proclivity to compromise democratic institutions in our country.
It would be recalled that on Friday, May 5, 2023, our Party raised alarm over the massively condemned comments by the APC Presidential Candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the commissioning of some judiciary projects in Port-Harcourt Rivers State, wherein he attempted to corrupt, cultivate and patronize the Judiciary.
More alarming are allegations in the public space of attempts by certain APC leaders to compromise the judiciary with heavy financial inducement and to orchestrate trumped-up allegations of impropriety against judicial officers.
The PDP calls on the APC and its leaders to immediately come clean and publicly address Nigerians and the world on these disturbing allegations and revelations which are already in the public domain.
Further to this is the provocative resort by the APC and its leaders to threaten Nigerians with treason for speaking out against the manipulations of our democratic processes by the APC.
For emphasis, majority of Nigerians are insisting on the review of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election because it was marred by wide-spread manipulations, open alteration of genuine election results from the Polling Units, allocation of fictitious figures to the APC and brazen violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as INEC Manual and Guidelines by INEC itself in its declaration of a winner of the election.
The bizarre response by INEC, which is an umpire that ought to be independent, to the Petition of the PDP and our Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, requesting for the dismissal of our Petition, is further evidence of the complicity, corruption and compromise of INEC by the APC.
It is instructive for INEC and the APC to note that the tribunal hearing is part of the electoral process. The APC and INEC are therefore advised to halt further steps to hinder the ability of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to dispense justice in the matter in accordance with the law
The PDP therefore restates its call on the Judiciary to resist and insulate itself from the alleged and reported antics of the APC in the discharge of its Constitutional duties as independent and impartial arbiter in the pending Petition before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
