The People’s Democratic Party has accused the Presidency of undue interference in the Judiciary, Legislature and the Independent National Electoral Commission by using the Department of State Service, DSS to influence election petition tribunal and court rulings in favour of the APC.
Following a meeting held at the Ondo State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, the PDP National Caucus also lampooned Senators elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, for confirming former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as a minister, saying the action was a death knell on APC’s war against corruption.
Amaechi was on Thursday confirmed by Senate when all but one Senator in the PDP caucus walked out of the Senate Chambers.
The PDP describing the walk out from the Senate Chambers by its senators during the confirmation of Amaechi as good for democracy.
It said: “We salute the courage and unity of purpose of our senators especially as demonstrated in the Senate chambers in their collective stand against impunity and corruption, in line with the wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian people. The PDP states that what the APC senators did is a death knell on their party’ s pretentious war against corruption.
“The PDP further notes that whilst former APC governors are being rewarded with ministerial appointments, their PDP counterparts are being hounded and harassed in the selective war against corruption. The party reiterates its commitment to the unity of Nigeria and the continued development of democracy in the country.”
In a communiqué signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the the opposition party urged President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, intervene and save the nation’s democracy from drifting into a dictatorship.
The Communiqué read: “The National Caucus carefully reviewed the political developments in the nation’s polity and resolved as follows.
“That there is serious cause for concern in the nation’s political environment, especially as it concerns the survival of the nation’s democracy.
“That the gains recorded in the 16 years of nurturing of democracy in the country by the PDP is rapidly being eroded with non-functioning of basic tenets of democracy and perpetuation of actions tilting towards dictatorship.
“That the insensitivity of the ruling government to very critical issues being raised by the opposition is a huge threat to viable democracy and dangerous to the peace, unity and progress of the country.
“That the undue interferences by the executive arm of government on the activities of the judiciary, legislature and INEC using the DSS is clearly unacceptable to the PDP as well as the Nigerian people and the party resolved to vigorously resist such.
“That the party finds it offensive and provocative, the judiciary’s handling of cases involving it in election tribunals in some states, particularly, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Taraba, Ogun, Plateau and Lagos states. The tainted judgements of these tribunals, which are evidently products of arm-twisting from the nation’s security operatives under the direct command of an APC member remains unacceptable to us.
“The PDP states that the conclusive evidence of external influence on the Rivers State governorship election tribunal is the fact that it was able to deliver its judgement within 24 hours, in a case that had nearly 100 witnesses, 1000 pieces of documentary evidences and nine counsel’s final written addresses; each not less than 40 pages. The decision, in view of the rather interesting history of the case, indicates that the judiciary, like the PDP and the Nigerian electorate are victims of the APC-led Federal Government.
“The party expects the judiciary, as an institution to restore its image by taking immediate measures to protect itself from political interferences as well as ensure that needed steps are taken at the appellate levels to remedy the embarrassing ruling by some of the election petitions tribunals.
“The party has also noted clandestine moves by the APC to use various agencies of government, to manipulate the processes and rig the outcome of the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states in their favour and vowed to deploy every means within the law to resist such.
“That the party calls on President Muhammadu Buhari, as the leader of the country, to stand up for justice and equity and halt the undemocratic attitudes of agents of government in the interest of peace and stability.”