Sam Philip
Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Ondo State Chapter, has alleged All Progressives Congress (APC) of plot to pitch it against the judiciary.
On Tuesday, PDP had alleged that members and supporters of APC storming the Akure High Court premises in celebration mood even when the tribunal was yet to deliver its judgement because they had prior knowledge of the judgement.
APC, in a statement by Steve Otaloro, Director Media and Publicity, had in its reaction described the allegation as an attempt to intimidate the judiciary, saying “it is an unfortunate comment that serves as an unwarranted assault on the integrity of Nigeria’s judicial system.”
APC added that “While the PDP claims it will appeal the judgment, its preemptive chastisement of the judiciary only serves to intimidate the process.”
However, PDP on Thursday said it observed “APC’s unenviable penchant for abandoning weightier matters of public importance to pursue extraneous ones of lesser or no value at all.”
A statement by Leye Igbabo, PDP Director, Media and Publicity, reads in parts: “We view this position as a case of helplessness of a party which has, itself been abandoned by the government it helped to install and which has consequently led to its disillusionment.
“It must be clearly emphasized here that our Party has the inalienable and undeniable right to express its opinion on any matter it desires.
“Therefore, an already failed attempt by the APC to pitch the party against the Judiciary over its opinion on the latest Election Petition Tribunal judgement is not only unconscionable but equally reprehensible.
“For the sake of emphasis, our party holds that the mobilization of drummers and singers to an Election Petition Tribunal, where judgment was expected, indicated that the APC was already aware of the content of the awaited judgment. This is only commonsensical.
“When a below-average student begins to display unusual confidence in an expected result of an examination, where the most brilliant ones are already caught in the results fever, it can only suggest that such a student is merely confident that his exam malpractice has already yielded his desired result.
“Our Party has reasons to express dissatisfaction over the unfortunate outcome of the judgement, which in our candid opinion, failed to address the very cogent and salient electoral flaws raised in our case.
“The November 16, 2024, gubernatorial election failed to substantially comply with the relevant provisions of the law, which guided the conduct of the election. Specifically, section 73 (2) of the Electoral Act 2022 mandates the presiding officer at each polling unit to record the quantity, serial numbers of result sheets, ballot papers, and other sensitive election materials brought to the polling unit, to a prescribed Form EC25B, made available by the INEC.
“We proved our case beyond any reasonable doubt by informing the Tribunal that over 3,834 polling units out of the total 3,933 polling units in Ondo State did not comply with this clear provision, which was admitted by the Tribunal.
“Unfortunately, the outcome of the judgment did not reflect or suggest that the Tribunal actually treated or worked on such a sensitive infraction before arriving at its verdict.
“While we respect our distinguished jurists and their power to deliver judgment as they please, it is equally within our rights to seek further judicial avenues to right such a miscarriage of justice. This, we have resolved to do with unwavering commitment and firmness of purpose.
“We will not, therefore, be distracted and/or derailed by the APC, which is already disillusioned due to its crude disconnect from the government it fought hard to entrench.”