• We’re disturbed cases are decided based on pre-election matters – PDP

• Our victories being withdrawn through back door – LP

• We respect judiciary but’ll appeal where we lose – APC

 

From Fred Itua, Ndubuisi Orji and Ada Nnamani, Abuja

Judgements emanating from the various elections petition tribunals from the various states seemed to have activated a panic mode in the country’s major political parties.

As more tribunals from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) continue to give verdicts in cases arising from the February 25 National Assembly elections, there are noticeable jitters within the ranks of the three major political parties – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP).

In the past days, many politicians declared elected by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have seen their victories upturned by the tribunals.

So far, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has given its verdict, affirming the election of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President.

Similarly, state tribunals have also given their verdicts in many of the cases, sacking serving senators and members of the House of Representatives.

So far, the tribunals have not given judgments on elections that produced 28 governors in March. Members of the various State Houses of Assembly are also yet to get their verdicts.

With the mandatory 180 days drawing close, tribunals are expected to start giving judgements on governorship elections from next week.

There is considerable apprehension in many of the battleground states, with many of the ruling parties expressing anxiety on the fate of their elected officials.

In the meantime, political parties said they’re not leaving anything to chance, as the tribunals continue to shock some with their verdicts.

In Kogi, Senator representing Kogi East, Jibrin Isah Echocho, was sacked by the tribunal sitting in Lokoja after considering the petition by the PDP’s Victor Adoji. The tribunal also overturned APC’s Senator Abubakar Ohere’s victory in Kogi Central election. PDP’s Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan was named winner.

The tribunal in Enugu State declared the elections of three members of the House of Representatives invalid. In Abia State three House of Representatives members, elected on the platform of the Labour Party, Ibe Okwara Osonwa, Emeka Nnamani and Munachim Alozie were also sacked by the tribunal.

In Plateau State, the Tribunal sitting in Jos sacked Bagos of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declared LP’s Hon. Dandereng Gideon winner of the Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency.

The major parties, including APC, PDP and Labour Party, expressed disappointment in some pf the judgements that did not favour their candidates and expressed concern that similar unfavourable verdicts might be recorded in other cases.

Spokesman of APC, Mr. Felix Morka, told Saturday Sun that nothing will be left to chance in matters of APC elected officials, noting that the party would provide all the necessary support to avoid any possible upset.

Morka said though the party will not interfere in the ongoing judicial processes, it will, however, not fail to step in and defend the mandates of their party members when necessary.

He said: “We have an interest and we have a mandate to defend the electoral mandate of our candidates. The party is very supportive of our candidates and their cases. We are supporting them the same way we supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to win at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

“The party is not jittery. Just the same way we did not panic during the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, we are not scared. We’re very confident of victory in all the ongoing cases in Nigeria. We will secure victory across board. As a party that respects the rule of law, we want to afford the courts the respect and courtesy they deserve.

“Where we find any form of dissatisfaction, we will appeal and reclaim our mandates. In appropriate cases where it is warranted, we will appeal. We will maintain our respect for the courts. We won’t behave like the opposition parties who fight the courts because they didn’t get the judgement they felt they deserved.”

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, told Saturday Sun in a telephone chat that the party was disturbed that some of the tribunal cases affecting PDP candidates were decided based on pre-election matters.

Nevertheless, he stated that the party will appeal the judgments against its candidates with the expectations that the Court of Appeal would right all the wrongs.

His words: “We believe that these are matters that are clearly pre-election matters that have no basis and no jurisdiction before the election petition tribunals. Of course we will appeal and we are very hopeful that the court will do that which is in line with the law and of course with the precedents of superior court, especially the Supreme Court, we believe that the Appeal court will appropriately take action on that.”

The main opposition party’s spokesman, while speaking on the party’s cases before the Gubernatorial Petition Tribunals, noted that the PDP expects all the cases to be decided in line with the law.

“The matters are before the courts. We expect that the justices as an important arm of government under our constitution, under our system of government and the fact that the judiciary remains a stabilising force, we expect that the judiciary will be independent, will be impartial and rule in accordance with the fact, with the law, with the constitution and will be fair in the process,” he said.

National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Obiora Ifoh said some of the judgments so far have been unfavourable, but vowed that the party will appeal and secure victory.

Said he: “Yes, there have been tribunal judgements that have been working against the party, but they are not leaving because there is space for appeal and until appeal decides, that is when the person will either vacate or retain the seat in the State or National Assembly.”

He said the seats won by the party are been retrieved through the backdoor, with many judgements being given against the party.

He said: “I did make a statement few days ago that the gains that Labour Party made during the elections looks like they are being eroded by the frequency at which the seats won by Labour Party are being taken by the tribunals. But when you look at the law, the law is specific about how a candidate must emerge.

“A candidate must emerge from a primary conducted by the party witnessed by INEC and the candidate must be a member of the party and it is only the party that knows who their members are and the moment the party gives you a ticket, and INEC accepts the ticket, no other person can remove it. But what we’re seeing are people from other political parties coming to look into the affairs of the Labour Party and how candidates emerged.

“They are not supposed to do that because even the Supreme Court has made pronouncements on that. We do not have any business looking into the affairs of other political parties. Face your own political party, and they face their own.

“The just concluded presidential elections petition tribunal said emphatically that Peter Obi is the legitimate candidate of the Labour Party so long as the party endorsed him and INEC accepted him; that his membership is not in doubt. But the state and national tribunals, they have refused to look at what the Supreme Court said and what the Appeal Court said and they have gone to be giving judgments that is contrary to what the Supreme Court has given.

“So, it is like the lower court upturning the decision of the Supreme Court. It is only in Nigeria you can do that and it has affected over 10 of our members in the National Assembly.

“But I give God the glory, because we have moved to the appeal and the first appeal that sat in Asaba upturned that decision of the tribunal and warned the tribunal, in essence, tribunals across Nigeria to stop giving out decisions that are unlawful and not in line with the constitution. That was why our candidate was returned as Member of House of representative in Delta State and we believe that with time, as the Appeal Court will be sitting, we will recover most of our seats. “We even got two judgements in Plateau State. So, in essence, we are increasing in number in the National Assembly but we will cross our fingers until the final judgement.

“We have never had a doubt that the judiciary is doing a great job but like we always say, there is always a rot in the system and the judiciary is not spared. There could be one or two bad eggs just like in every other profession, but all in all, we think that the judiciary is living up to the task.

“We are sure and we believe that we will recover all our mandates both at the State, National and even Presidential.”