• Nigeria’s future polls depend on tribunal’s performance, says PDP New Generation
• Urges judiciary to defend democracy
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to influence the outcome of petitions currently pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The PDP also alerted on alleged intimidation, harassment, threats and attacks by APC leaders against youths and eminent personalities “for speaking out against APC’s planned moves to install a government that does not enjoy the mandate of majority of Nigerians.”
The party, at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday evening, presided over by National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, claimed that the alleged onslaught planned by APC leaders on eminent Nigerians and democratic institutions, including the judiciary, arose from APC’s apprehensions “given the weight of evidence against it, as well as the continued refusal by majority of Nigerians to accept the outcome of the flawed presidential election.”
It said: “More alarming are allegations in the public space of attempts by certain APC leaders to compromise the judiciary with heavy financial inducement and orchestrate trumped-up allegations of impropriety against judicial officers.”
PDP called on APC and its leaders to come clean and address Nigerians and the world on “these disturbing allegations and revelations, which are already in public domain.”
The party said: “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 review of the February 25, 2023 presidential election because it was marred by widespread manipulations, open alteration of genuine election results from polling units, allocation of fictitious figures to the APC, and brazen violation of provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”
Also, as the tribunal begins today, PDP New Generation, a youth-based pressure group within the party, said future elections would depend on how the tribunal performs, even as it urged the judiciary to defend Nigeria’s democracy.
In a statement by its national executive council, yesterday, the group said focus would be on the judiciary and its performance would either defend or destroy the hope of youths.
The statement reads: “It has often been said that the court is the last hope of the common man. Indeed, the whole world will be watching the judiciary closely, as it begins this onerous task of restoring the common man’s confidence.
“The performance of the judiciary during this process will make or mar the future of elections in this country; it will reiterate confidence in the judiciary or erode confidence.
“The whole world has described the presidential election as one that was blighted by irregularities. As such, how the tribunal performs during this all-important process will determine this.
“We are optimistic that the tribunal will do the right thing and we are counting on it to do the right thing, in the interest and benefit of our dear nation, and save us from the embarrassment of being a laughingstock among the comity of nations.”
