PDP accuses APC of Secret Plot to Pressure Appeal Court to Reverse its Judgment on Senator Akobundu

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Thursday said that it has uncovered a surreptitious plot by certain top leaders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to pressure the Court of Appeal for a review and reversal of the Court’s judgment wherein it declared PDP’s Col Austin Akobundu(rtd) as the rightful winner of Abia Central Senatorial District election.
The leading opposition party sid this in a statement Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba in Abuja.
The party said that it has also been made aware of pressure on the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio to undermine the judgement of the Court and stand down the swearing in of Senator-elect Austin Akobundu.
The PDP disclosed that Information at its disposal indicate that a furtive plot against the Justices of the Court of Appeal and indeed the Institution of the Judiciary came as a result of a secret pledge allegedly by Darlington Nwokocha to join the APC if the said APC leaders succeed in intimidating, cajoling and coercing the Court of Appeal to review its final judgement, overule itself and return him to the Senate.
The PDP has, consequently, called on the Senate President, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, being an experienced lawyer and legislator, not to allow anybody to drag the Senate, a prominent Institution of democracy which he leads, into an unnecessary and avoidable conflict with the express pronouncement and Order of the Court of Appeal and the provisions of the Constitution.
The Senate President , the party stressed, must protect the integrity of the Senate as a law-abiding institution by swearing in Senator-elect Col Austin Akobundu as ordered by the Court of Appeal, being the Final Court in the matter.
According to the statement by PDP, “It is no longer news that the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, the Final Court in National Assembly Election Petition cases, in its judgement delivered on Saturday 4th November, 2023, on Petition No. EPT/AB/SEN/02/2023, voided the return of Darlington Nwokocha of the Labour Party as winner of the Abia Central Senatorial District election by INEC and declared Col Austin Akobundu rtd of the PDP as the authentic winner of the election.
“As you may recall, the judgment of the Court of Appeal elicited spontaneous jubilation not only in Abia Central Senatorial District, but also in the entire Abia State and various parts of our nation; a signal that it is in tandem with the Will and aspiration of the people of Abia Central at the February 25, 2023 National Assembly election in the State.
“However, our Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has uncovered a surreptitious plot by certain top leaders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to pressure the Court of Appeal for a review and reversal of the Court’s judgment wherein it declared PDP’s Col Austin Akobundu(rtd) as the rightful winner of Abia Central Senatorial District election.
“We have also been made aware of pressure on the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio to undermine the judgement of the Court and stand down the swearing in of Senator-elect Austin Akobundu.
“Information at our disposal indicate that this furtive plot against the Justices of the Court of Appeal and indeed the Institution of the Judiciary came as a result of a secret pledge allegedly by Darlington Nwokocha to join the APC if the said APC leaders succeed in intimidating, cajoling and coercing the Court of Appeal to review its final judgement, overule itself and return him to the Senate.