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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Plateau state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that it won’t be cajoled by the wailings of their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts over the latter’s spate of losses at the National Assembly elections petitions tribunal sitting in Jos.
Daily Sun had reported that no fewer than four PDP national Assembly members have lost their seats to APC and Labour Party.
Addressing newsmen on Friday in Jos, APC State Publicity Secretary, Sylvanus Namang described as reckless statements credited to some members of PDP, including those that lost at the tribunal, which tended to disparage the judges and their judgments.
The statement said, “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Plateau State Chapter has been drawn to some reckless press statements by the Plateau State Chapter of the PDP and obviously State-sponsored protests aimed at distracting and diverting attention by whipping up ill-motivated sentiments against Judges of the Election Petitions Tribunal in the State.
“That these are coming in the wake of the fair, firm and just pronouncements of the First Tribunal, which declared some APC and LP National Assembly candidates victorious, smacks of sheer mischief and blackmail.
“We are thus compelled, as bona fide citizens of Plateau State, to react to these spurious allegations and feeble bravados and vituperations by a pack of self-serving individuals and groups whose desperation for power has reached high pitch.
“We cannot shy away from reacting to the unfolding political developments in view of the fact that some leaders of our Party are being blackmailed as a deliberate means of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
We hasten to remark here that the unconscionable press statements and protests are regular pastime of these known enemies of peace and democracy in the State. On the whole, their premeditated and pre-emptive actions are a crass exhibition of unnecessary apprehension and prejudice!
The PDP which is obviously behind these ugly developments is reputed for its hypocritical posture of playing the religious and ethnic card in causing disaffection and nauseating division within the ranks of unsuspecting citizens of the State.
“Nothing can be more divisive than its recent allegation that these respected and peace-loving leaders of our great Party are interfering with the activities of the high-heeled Tribunals even when opposite is the case. This amounts to crying wolf where there is none!
“However, it is important to state that before the Justice B.M. Tukur-led Tribunals meticulous, fair and just pronouncements, there were previous judgments by the Second Tribunal presided over by Justice Rotimi Williams who ruled against the APC and Labour Party in spite of overwhelming evidence and established position of the law.
“Interestingly, in our usual propensity for respect of Court Orders and judicial decisions, though dissatisfied with the judgments, we accepted them in good faith without raising any dust, but preferring instead, to appeal such judgments at the Appeal Tribunal as constitutionally stipulated.
“No doubt, it is a shame that the PDP-led Government in the State, as a pre-emptive move and organised mischief is involved in mobilizing hoodlums to harass and intimidate Tribunal judges ahead of the remaining judgments.
“In particular, the sponsored protest of yesterday Thursday 14th September, 2023 in Jos by a faceless and self-styled pro-democracy group which calls itself Coalition of Ethnic Youths under the leadership of one Habila Gamji, is simply another crude means of gagging and blackmailing the judiciary and cajoling the judges to abdicate their constitutional responsibilities.”
