APC hounding senators-elect over leadership, says PDP

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as an invitation to anarchy and dangers to democracy “the subterranean moves by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders to arm-twist the judiciary into using the various election tribunals to subvert the will of the people and upturn democratically elected governments in some PDP-controlled states.”

It also claimed that the APC has already started hounding PDP senators-elect, threatening to use federal influence to coax the tribunals against them if they fail to do its bidding in the ongoing politicking to raise the new leadership in the Senate.

In another development, the PDP National Assembly members have resolved to set up an effective oversight mechanism to benchmark the activities of the APC-led Federal Government in real time basis.

The resolve was contained in a statement yesterday by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and Leo Ogor, after the retreat for their senators and members-elect in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The lawmakers implored members to remain in the party and revive its political fortunes to give Nigerians better leadership.

According to them, the PDP still needs to take its new task as an opposition party very serious in order to provide the nation with a healthy, robust, vigilant and responsible opposition that will promote good governance and development.

They explained that the retreat, with the theme, “The Role of the Opposition in Facilitating Development and Good Governance,” aimed at helping to shape the quality of governance in the next four years, and that the PDP leadership has pledged to work with its members in the National Assembly and give them maximum support to excel as a vibrant opposition in parliament.

In a statement yesterday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said his party has intelligence reports showing certain clandestine moves and nocturnal meetings in Lagos and Abuja on how to compromise the composition and location of the electoral tribunals to suit the APC purpose.

“We are aware that there are moves by the APC to cause the doctoring of the membership of the gubernatorial elections tribunals in some PDP states, particularly Akwa-Ibom, Abia, Rivers and Delta, aiming to bring in friendly officers, possibly to push through their agenda against our great party,” the statement read.

“We question the so-called security reasons adduced for the decision to relocate the Akwa-Ibom State Governorship, National and State Assembly elections tribunals from the state and wonder why Akwa-Ibom was singled out.

“Nigerians and the international community would recall that we had earlier alerted of furtive moves by the APC to procure and compromise some stakeholders in the elections, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security personnel to bear false witness and doctor electoral materials against the PDP at the tribunals.”

Decrying the alleged threat to PDP senators-elect over the position they took on Senate Presidency, Metuh said: “It is apparently in line with this heinous agenda that the APC has started hounding our senators-elect with threats to use the tribunals against them if they fail to do its bidding in the parliament.

“It is worrisome that this ‘jackboot mentality’ and rape of our democracy, which is averse to the spirit of the healing process, is happening with the knowledge of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is a direct beneficiary of the huge sacrifice the PDP made to ensure that the nation remains peaceful and stable.”

The PDP asked Buhari to call the APC leadership to order to avert the anarchy the alleged ‎move to illegally upturn the elections of some PDP governors and senators could cause. It further called on “the international community and lovers of democracy worldwide to note the ugly developments and hold the APC responsible should there be any breakdown of law and order in the polity.

“Let it be known that there is no way we can fold our hands and watch while the mandates freely given to our governors and National Assembly members fall prey to the ravenous ambition of the APC.

“It is on this note that we once again draw the attention of the leaderships of the judiciary, INEC and security forces to the plots intended to compromise their men, drag in their institutions and pitch them against the people.”