BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
The People’s Democratic Party has alleged that the All Progressives Congress is planning to influence the outcome of the 2023 presidential election tribunal in its favour.
PDP raised the alarm on Sunday at a press conference addressed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
The PDP alleged that apart from plans to influence the tribunal in favour of its candidate, Bola Tinubu, the APC is also involved in the intimidation, harassment, threats, and vicious attacks against Nigerian youths and other eminent Nigerian personalities speaking out against the party’s planned moves.
The major opposition party, therefore, called on well-meaning Nigerians and the international community to prevail on the APC to allow the judiciary to work independently.
The statement reads, “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 the 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.
“It is imperative to state that the reckless violation by INEC of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC Guidelines and Manual in the 2023 Presidential election portend grave consequences to our democracy and political stability as a country.
“The only way to guarantee peace, unity and stability of our nation is to uphold the will of the people as expressed at the Polling Units in the February 25, 2023 presidential election and the PDP is confident in the ability of the Judiciary to discharge its constitutional duties in this regard independently.”
