Election Petition: PDP Govs Accuse Judiciary Of Double Standard

…As party wants Fubara, Wike to sheathe swords over Rivers crisis

Governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have accused the judiciary of double standard in handling cases brought before it in the just concluded general election.

The party’s candidate in the February presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, had on Monday, taken a swipe at the nation’s judiciary, stating that the decision of the Supreme Court in his appeal against the election of President Bola Tinubu, was an encouragement of fraud and illegality.

PDP governors who met in Abuja on Tuesday noted that the recent judgement of the Supreme Court on the 2023 presidential election brought an end to the presidential election cycle, but expressed concern that “while the Supreme Court has laid down precedents on pre-election issues, PDP candidates in Plateau State are being disqualified on the same grounds.”

The governors in a communiqué read at the end of the meeting by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum Senator Bala Mohammed, urged “the judiciary at the apex level to ensure that our jurisprudence is not distorted.

“As a forum, we believe and re-state our faith and confidence in the judiciary to do justice in political and other cases before the courts.”

Mohammed who is also governor of Bauchi State, condemned the attempted impeachment of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and expressed the forum’s readiness “for a quick and just containment of the issues involved.”

He, however, welcomed the intervention of President Tinubu to bring the crises to an end.

Governor Mohammed pledged the determination of the PDP governors to remain vigilant in the struggle for democracy and good governance in the country. He assured that the party would be repositioned and strengthened “as a viable opposition political party ready and willing to play its role as the vanguard of the Nigerian people for democracy, good governance and accountability.”

He called on the Federal Government to stabilise the naira, control inflation, stem the unemployment crises, and bring more assistance to Nigerians.

The National Working Committee (NWC) had earlier in a statement called on all actors and their supporters in the attempt to impeach the Rivers State governor, to sheathe their swords and allow for the peaceful and amicable resolution of all the issues.

The party in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, said it has activated its internal conflict resolution mechanisms to ensure that all matters and areas of disagreement are addressed.

It urged PDP leaders, critical stakeholders and members of the party in Rivers State to close ranks, unite and focus on the task of governance and delivery of dividends of democracy to the people.

The PDP governors’ meeting, which was the third since the new government’s inauguration last May, was attended by 10 governors and the deputy governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ossai.

The embattled Rivers State governor Siminalayi Fubara, who incidentally is the Vice Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, attended the meeting for the first time.

The acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagun, and some other NWC members, were also present at the meeting.