the Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday said
the judgment of the Rivers State Governorship
Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja showed clear
bias against Governor Nyesom Wike and the
party.
This is contained in a statement signed by PDP
National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in
Abuja.
“We, therefore, reassured that PDP will do all
within the ambit of the law to resist attempt by
the APC to thwart the will of the people,’’ he
said.
Mr. Metuh said the tribunal’s verdict would not
stand as it was “completely bizarre,
unacceptable and part of the script by the All
Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the
will of the people’’.
He said the PDP had earlier revealed APC’s plot
to use the judiciary and various security agencies
to reverse PDP’s victory in Rivers, Delta, Akwa
Ibom, Taraba and Abia.
Mr. Metuh said those plots culminated in the
tribunal’s ruling on Rivers election as well as `the
ridiculous Wednesday’s verdict’ of the Akwa-
Ibom Governorship Election Tribunal also sitting
in Abuja.
“The bias in the judgment against the PDP in
Rivers as well as Akwa Ibom is evidenced in the
contradictions inherent in the trial process of the
two cases and the verdicts therein,’’ he said.
Mr. Metuh said the Akwa-Ibom and Rivers
tribunals clearly disregarded standing legal norm,
which states that a petitioner must establish
prove of claims.
He said the tribunal based its judgment on the
issues of card reader, even when both parties
before the tribunal agreed that both card reader
and manual accreditation were used for the
election.
He said that the tribunal found it ‘’convenient to
use legal technicalities to deny PDP victory in
Imo, Lagos, Ogun and Yobe states.’’
According to the PDP image maker, ‘’the same
rules are misapplied to wickedly favour APC
petitioners in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.’’
Mr. Metuh said the fact that less than 24 hours
after counsel to the two parties submitted their
written addresses and documents, the tribunal
rushed its notice of judgment, further underlined
its bias.
“This is ostensibly aimed at ambushing the
pending Supreme Court action on the issue of
jurisdiction regarding the relocation of the
tribunal outside River state, due to be delivered
on Tuesday.’’
Mr. Metuh said although the tribunal had up to
seven days after receipt of addresses to deliver
its judgment, it chose to rush to deliver its
verdict, even on Saturday.
“This is a factor which portends great danger to
our democracy and the stability of our country.
“PDP conceded electoral defeat in Edo, Anambra
and Imo without attempting to collect victory
through executive manipulation of the judicial
process,” he said.
Mr. Metuh called on lovers of democracy,
particularly PDP members in Rivers and Akwa
Ibom state, not to be daunted.
According to him, the judgments against PDP will
not stand the test of the law and the will of the
people.