From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
A political pressure group in the Delta State chapter of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Delta Political Vanguard (DPV), has expressed worries over the recent judgments by the Court of Appeal which sacked opposition governors in some states of the federation.
The group is alleging that the judgments were targeted at making Nigeria a one-party state, expressing anxiety that there were ominous signs that the looming judgment for the Delta State governorship election at the Court of Appeal might not favour the PDP.
The Court of Appeal, Lagos, had reserved judgement in the appeal brought by the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Ovie Omo-Agege, challenging the declaration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP as winner of the election.
Addressing journalists in Asaba, the national secretary of DPV, Mr. Ese Sanco, also lampooned the judiciary for upholding the election of Joel Onowakpo of the APC as senator representing Delta South after the election tribunal declared the said election inconclusive.
Mr. Sanco said the Onowakpo judgment and some others across the country have emboldened the APC in Delta State to be claiming that the court would give them favourable judgment in the governorship.
“I am indeed saddened by the worthless vituperation of Delta APC and the belief that Mr. President has promised to hand over Delta State to them through the courts. If this is true then Nigeria is finished.
“I am not here to doubt whatever they decides to say or believe because there are clearly ominous signs that threaten not just our faith in the electoral and judicial system but evincing that our democracy is compromised.
“It is also crystal clear that the ruling party will not desist from this inglorious ideology of ‘snatch, grab and run away with power’ as directed by Mr President during the electioneering period.
“It is even more worrisome that all the states where the courts have made controversial declarations are states being controlled by the opposition political parties.
“From Nassarawa, Kano, Zamfara and now to Plateau State, where we are witnessing a situation in which what the ruling party missed out on Election Day are being delivered to them through the courts,” he said.
Sanco insisted that the signals coming from the rulings were not good, warning that the nation would soon find itself in a cataclysmic and monumental conflagration if the ruling APC does not exercise restraint.
“As we speak, Zamfara, Kano, Plateau, Delta and other states are targeted for cash and carry judgement just to subvert the will of the people and plunge our country into one of the most horrendous situation in our political history,” he added.