Kayode Sesan
The Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed shock over how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has launched out on large-scale smear campaign on the Nigerian judiciary following the recent court pronouncements that appear not to favour the PDP and their candidates at the various election petition tribunals especially the Akwa Ibom State and Rivers State governorship election petition tribunals.
“In what is unfolding as an all out war, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh and the various chapters of the PDP in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, have already thrown every caution in the rule book to the wind in the way they are casting aspersions on the integrity of respected members of the bench whose only offence is that their meticulous and balanced judgments have exposed PDP’s fraudulent and violent escapades during the 2015 general election,” Mr. Chris Finebone, the Rivers State APC spokesman said in press statement yesterday.
The APC according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said it was worried that a particular media outlet, the Africa Independent Television (AIT), owned and operated by a PDP chieftain, has offered itself as the foremost platform for the PDP to execute its insidious smear campaign against the Nigerian judiciary.
“The APC recalled that prior to last week, the APC have had a number of rulings go against the party and its candidates at the various National Assembly election petition tribunals especially for Rivers State where over 90 per cent of the rulings favoured the PDP and its candidates. Neither the APC National Working Committee (NWC) nor the various affected state chapters of the party came out to impugn the integrity of our judiciary. The APC took those outcomes with equanimity and proceeded on appeal in most cases without declaring and levying war on the judiciary the way the PDP is doing now.”
Continuing the party said: “Particularly, the PDP and their members in Rivers State, including even lawyers, have since Saturday launched various bitter tirades against the character and integrity of the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal members. Some have openly tried to establish family and marital relationship between the tribunal chairman and some top government officials, knowing same to be false, mendacious and malicious. The APC is still stunned that the spokesman of the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Opunabo Inko-Tariah would state that, ‘The tribunal has delivered the ruling it was asked to deliver.’ The APC condemns this kind of unguarded vituperation by a government official against a tribunal of eminent judges.”
“In summary, the APC understands that by turning to destroy the Nigerian judiciary, the PDP is only employing its usual tactics of intimidation and blackmail whenever their members find themselves at the wrong end of the law, whether over corruption cases or electoral matters as is the present case. This motive common with bandits and buccaneers have proven to fail the PDP in the past and will surely fail them this time around” the statement concluded.
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