…Insists no going back from Tribunal
Opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said it will petition the United Nations over the militarisation of the presidential election by the federal government.
This is coming as the party insisted that it is going ahead to challenge the outcome of the election in the Election Tribunal despite entreaties from several quarters for the party to allow the election result to go unchallenged.
These were the key decisions taken at an expanded meeting of the party’s National Caucus held at the PDP national secretariat, Abuja.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the National Publicity Secretary, Kola said that the “Caucus noted the role of the military in the February 23 election and resolved that we will report the action of the military through a petition to UN as well as other global democratic institution on the role of our military in the Feb 23 election.”
The party also declared that the federal government is deploying the military to the Niger Delta region to intimidate voters during the March 9 governorship election.
““On the forthcoming governorship election, we decry the militarisation of the South South and the rigging which the APC is plotting ahead of the election. We urge Nigerians to come out enmass and participate in the election and ensure they vote for the candidates of the PDP.
“Caucus commended Nigerians for refusing the harassment, intimidation and militarisation of the electoral process and participating in the election but noted that the mandate that was freely given to our candidate was stolen and as such the party and the candidate jointly resolved to go to the tribunal and reaching the end of what is permissible within our legal system to get back our mandate on behalf of Nigerians.”
The PDP Caucus condemned the “harassment, intimidation and cajoling of our members on the plot by the Buhari presidency as well as APC to intimidate the people’s president, former VP Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the resolve of the PDP to go to court by insisting, blackmailing and saying that he should not go to court.
“We insist that our party and our candidate have resolved to seek legal redress on the stolen mandate.”
The PDP dismissed the appeal by some political parties to Atiku not to go to Election Tribunal and stressed that the political parties were sponsored by the Presidency.
“We are aware, in fact the information came on Saturday that the Buhari presidency and the APC have paid some of the smaller parties to come out and urge Atiku not to go to the tribunal, and today (Monday) stating that he should not go to the tribunal.
“If it is true that President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC won this election, what is scaring them? What are they afraid of coming to the tribunal? They should come to the tribunal and present to the Justices how they won the election.
“For us in the PDP and for our candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubay, our lawyers have been properly briefed and as we speak they are set to file at the tribunal and we will surely do that.
“Nobody can intimidate our party, nobody will intimidate our candidate not to follow what the law provides for, and we will do everything within the law to make sure that this stolen mandate is retrieved.”
Speaking earlier at the commencement of the Caucus meeting, the PDP National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus demanded for the immediate release of Atiku’s son-in-law and Lawyer who were arrested and detained by security operatives.
He also declared that no amount of intimidation or harassment will stop PDP from seeking justice.
“The decision to go to court has been finalised and agreed and the process is on. The lawyers have been assembled. We may be in court today or tomorrow. No one can stop us.
“No matter the propaganda of APC we will seek justice till the last drop of our blood. We believe justice will be done and God almighty will give justice.”
