Rivers: APC replies PDP on Supreme Court ruling
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is bent on deceiving the public and intimidating the Supreme Court.
The APC in a statement by Lanre Issa-onilu, its national publicity secretary, said this while reacting to a statement by the opposition on a Supreme Court ruling on Rivers State.
Prior to the 2019 election, the primaries of the APC was cancelled leaving them with no candidate to present.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), therefore excluded the APC from participating in the governorship election.
The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing in the four appeals on Rivers State APC primary election, for a nomination of candidates for 2019 general election, until April 8 and 11.
The PDP reacting to this accused the minister of transportation, and leader of the party in Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi, of plotting to cause “constitutional crisis” in the just concluded governorship election.
The party also said the APC leaders are mounting pressure on the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Mohammed, to reverse the February 12, 2019 judgment of the Supreme Court.
The PDP in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, made these allegations.
“The PDP has information of how Rotimi Amaechi has been going around in Rivers State, giving assurances that he has the ears of the Supreme Court under the leadership of Acting CJN, Justice Tanko Mohammed, and that the Supreme Court will reverse its final judgment on APC Primaries and create the way for fresh elections in Rivers State, in which the APC will be allowed to participate,” the PDP said.
Mr Ologbondiyan appealed to Mr Mohammed, not to allow himself be used by “desperate politicians” in the ruling party to cause anarchy in Rivers State.
APC reacts
The APC noted the Supreme Court has not made any pronouncement on the exclusion of APC candidates from the concluded governorship election.
The party described PDP’s reaction as a cheap attempt to “ambush the Supreme Court with their cock and bull conspiracies”.
“We are however well aware of the PDP’s intent to hoodwink and deceive the public; and most importantly, intimidate and blackmail our eminent Supreme Court Justices into doing their bidding in respect of the matter of the purported exclusion of Rivers State APC candidates from the last elections, before the apex court.”
The APC urged Nigerians to ignore the “evil machinations” of the PDP in its statement on the matter ”as the PDP has refused to come to terms with the fact that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration adheres to the rule of law”.
The party said it will allow the law to take its course, advising the PDP to do the same, ”rather than overheat the polity”.