Presidential election: PDP to seek S/Court’s review of judgement

•Same for Osun, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna guber
•As Apex Court hears Bayelsa guber petition Wednesday

By Lateef Ibrahim and Vivian Okejeme

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said yesterday that it is left with no other choice than to ask for a review of the Supreme Court’s judgment on the Presidential election petition tribunal, where the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari was declared the winner.
The PDP equally said that it has no choice than to ask the Supreme Court to review the Kano, Kaduna and Katsina election judgments, because of manifest violence and substantial non-compliance to our electoral law.
This is just as the Supreme Court is set to hear the All Progressives Congress(APC)application seeking for a review of the February 13, 2020, judgment on Bayelsa State governorship election, Wednesday 26.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan made the position of the party known at a press conference yesterday in Abuja.
The leading opposition party, which based its stand on what it called “the manner in which the APC has conducted itself”, is also asking the Supreme Court to review its judgment on the Osun Governorship election in view of manifest, complete and total disregard to the nation’s electoral rules in the conduct of the elections.
In the text of the press conference entitled, “Position of the PDP on The Desperation Of The APC To Subjugate, Intimidate for the Purpose of Annexing The Supreme Court Over Imo, Bayelsa and Zamfara Governorship Election Judgments”, Ologbondiyan claimed that the APC is all out to destabilize the nation and destroy her hard-earned democracy.
The statement by the National Publicity Secretary reads in part, “the PDP wishes to bring to the attention of the world that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is all out to destabilize our nation and destroy our hard-earned democracy.
“However, the PDP finds it ludicrous, ridiculous and insulting to the sensibilities and respect of the Supreme Court Justices for the APC to hurriedly and malevolently head to the Supreme Court to attempt to arm twist the lord justices to effect a forceful reversal of the valid, flawless and faultless judgments on Bayelsa and Zamfara states governorship elections.
“Consequently, the National Working Committee of the PDP, after comprehensive consultations, states that our party has no choice left, given the manner with which the APC has conducted itself, than to ask for a review of the judgment of the Presidential election petition tribunal, where the issue of certificate forgery and or presentation of false information in aid of qualifications was clearly established against the APC and her presidential candidate.
“The same applies to the judgment on the Katsina governorship election petition, where lawyers also established similar issue of certificate forgery.
“The PDP equally has no choice than to ask the Supreme Court to review the Kano, Kaduna and Katsina election judgments, because of manifest violence and substantial non-compliance to our electoral law.
“The PDP also asks the Supreme Court to review its judgment on the Osun Governorship election in view of manifest, complete and total disregard to our electoral rules in the conduct of the elections”, the party said.
The PDP vowed that it will not fold its hands and watch enemies of “our hard-earned democracy, who contributed nothing to its birth, to continue to appropriate our collective sovereignty for their selfish political gains while destroying our institutions and holding our people to ransom”.
On APC application , recall that the five-man panel of the Apex court granted the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, its governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the party, Douye Diri, and his running mate, Lawrence Ewhruojakpo.
The ‘controversial’ judgment which was delivered a day to the inauguration of the party’s governorship candidate, David Lyon, and his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo rattled the party hierarchy in Abuja.
Consequently, the APC, had through its lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had on February 20, filed an application before the Supreme Court contending that the apex court gave a wrong interpretation to the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja.