PDP, APC Clash Over Election Tribunal Panels

PDP Uncovers Plots By APC To Clamp On Election Tribunals In Rivers,
Other PDP States

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday uncovers fresh plots by the
APC-led administration to tinker with the composition of the election
tribunals in Rivers and other PDP states, with a view to import pliable
judges to overturn the party’s victory in the last general elections.

The party said it has “concrete evidence that the APC administration in
its desperation is set to transfer uncooperative tribunal judges and
replace them with malleable ones to overturn PDP’s electoral victory in
Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Abia, Taraba and Delta States and hand them over to
the APC.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, on Tuesday said
“following the insistence by some tribunal judges on delivering justice,
despite the pressure being mounted by the APC government, machineries
have been put in motion to influence the outcome of the judicial process
by replacing them with those already briefed to do the bidding of the
APC government.”

The party further alerted that “part of the plot is to use the
Department of State Services (DSS) and some unscrupulous officials of
the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to tamper with
official records of evidence and other electoral documents in INEC’s
custody for presentation at the tribunals, which would be manned by the
compromised judicial officials”.

“We have uncovered an unholy alliance between the DSS and INEC to
interfere directly in the activities of election tribunals in some PDP
states by removing and altering some records in INEC and instigating the
APC to insist that there were no elections in those states.

“You will recall that after the elections, the former INEC Chairman,
Prof. Attahiru Jega insisted and showed to the whole world that there
were governorship elections in Rivers, Abia, Taraba, Akwa-Ibom and Delta
states. However, upon prodding by the APC, the DSS and INEC are already
interfering with the electoral process by using some persons in INEC to
doctor the results and change the true position of affairs regarding the
elections in these states.

“Secondly, we want to inform the nation that any moment from now, some
tribunal judges in these states have been marked for transfer. We had
earlier informed Nigerians that the DSS was already meeting with some
INEC and tribunal officials ostensibly to compromise the process.  Now
we have found out that because some tribunal members were not
cooperating, they have concluded plans to replace them with pliable
ones. The PDP is alerting the entire nation and the international
community of this devious development, which is a direct assault on our
democracy.

“You will recall that we have always patiently explained situations that
are dangerous to the progress and sustenance of democracy in this
country. This is one of them. This is a coup against democracy. The
question is, why are they interfering with the process and why would
they want to remove judges after they have started hearing the cases?

“The PDP insists that the judiciary should not be interfered with, and
should be allowed to play its role in our democracy. The APC should stop
harassing, intimidating or attempting to remove judges who are not
responding to their dirty tricks

“We insist on the sanctity of the process and caution strongly that we
will not accept any move by any person whatsoever to undermine the will
of the people and rob us of our well deserved electoral victory in these
states”, the party said.

Insisting that it is armed with overwhelming evidence against the APC,
the PDP recalled that when it raised the issue of the Director General
of the DSS, being an APC member, the APC put up a denial only to be
silenced when it came up with evidences including pictures and
publications showing his affinity with the party.

In the same vein, the party recalled that when it raised the issue of
nepotism in the illegal appointment of an Acting Chairman of INEC, a
position unknown to the nation’s constitution, the APC presented a lame
denial only also to be silenced after it presented evidences of
nepotism.

While directing its members and all well-meaning Nigerians to be on the
alert, the PDP urged the judiciary to ensure that it is not compromised
by the APC-led government to go against the law and the demands of
justice which it swore to protect at all times.


Signed:

Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary

APC-led FG will not micromanage judiciary - APC

The All Progressives  Congress (APC) has asked the PDP to stop denigrating the judiciary by suggesting that Tribunal judges handling the various election petitions can be influenced, saying the APC-led Federal Government will not micromanage the judiciary.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the PDP is throwing wild allegations against the Tribunals in Rivers and other states because the party knows it stole the votes in those states.

''The affected states are the cashcows of the PDP, hence the party is so jittery about losing the states, which they know they did not win in the first instance.

''We have confidence in the ability of the Tribunals to carry out their duties diligently and without fear or favour. We implore the PDP to be charitable enough to repose the same confidence in the Tribunals,'' it said

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Sept. 1st 2015