PDP Replies APC, Says Threat to PEPC Subversive, Move to Intimidate Judiciary

•LP: Position of law can’t be cause for anarchy

Chuks Okocha and Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, said the threat contained in the written address by lawyers to President Bola Tinubu and All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) was a pre-emptive move to intimidate the judiciary.

Labour Party (LP) also condemned Tinubu for saying interpreting the law as provided in the constitution on the 25 per cent of lawful votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) could “lead to absurdity, chaos, anarchy and alteration of the very intention of the legislature,” adding that the position of the law cannot cause anarchy.

PDP, in statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said, “The statement by the lawyers in the said written address threatening crisis and anarchy in the country in the event of the court ruling that their clients did not meet the constitutionally required 25 per cent votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is subversive, an affront to democratic order, and assault on the corporate existence of the nation.

“It is alarming and disturbing that the APC externalised to the public their final written address in which they also threatened national peace if the court upholds the clear provisions of Section 134 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), with regard to the mandatory and statutory requirements for which a candidate in a presidential election can be declared winner.

“The threats, either through counsel or officials of the APC, is calculated to intimidate and harass the judiciary and, indeed, Nigerians.”

Ologunagba said PDP held that “the clear intent of the APC was to blackmail the court and emasculate the independence of the judiciary to discharge its duties in accordance with the dictates of the law. This action is ostensibly to set the stage to orchestrate violent crisis in various parts of the country with the intention to further blackmail the PEPC.

“We ask: why is the APC externalising their final written address to the public? Is the APC being pre-emptive and now seeks to heighten tension, subvert the judicial process and trigger anarchy, having realised the weakness of their case before the PEPC? “

PDP cautioned and emphasised that Nigeria was a country under the rule of law, adding, “The statutory requirements for a winner in a presidential election as provided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022 are clear and unambiguous.” 

Similarly, LP, in a statement by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, described the statement in Tinubu’s final written address to the presidential election tribunal as one that could be clearly interpreted as interference in the duties and responsibilities of the judiciary.

Ifoh said it was worried that the statement, which formed part of the president’s submissions and was contained in his final written address against LP’s petition pending at the PEPEC, and meant to be in the exclusive custody of the court, was leaked to the media.

He said LP “still does not know the reason behind this act of desperation, even when the matter is still pending in court. We will, however, be careful not to term the action as ‘subjudice’.

LP said in the statement, “The Labour Party thinks that the statement was unnecessary since the matter is already before the court, and going ahead to pontificate on it could be construed as interference in the duties and responsibilities of the judiciary.”

Ifoh went further to remind the president that “there are no sentiments when it comes to matters of law”.