Zamfara verdict: APC warns PDP to mind its business

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Tanko Muhammad

Lanre Issa-Onilu: APC publicity secretary, calls PDP an interloper on Zamfara case

The All Progressives Congress has chided the Peoples Democratic Party to stop crying wolf over the APC bid to get the Supreme Court review its judgment on the Zamfara governorship election.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu called the PDP an interloper and a shameless busybody for dabbling into the case and casting aspersion on the justices after the court reserved judgment on the matter brought by the APC for review.

Issa-Onilu’s statement: “We raise serious objection to the attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to interfere in the Supreme Court’s decision to reserve its judgment on the Zamfara State governorship election matter.

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“We state emphatically that PDP has no business in this matter as it is clearly an intra-party affair in which the All Progressives Congress (APC) is asking the Apex Court to review its judgment.

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“Nigerians would recall that our party had disagreement over the conduct of our primaries in Zamfara State for which a member of our party instituted a court case.

“This led to an unexpected judgement leading to the quashing of our overwhelming victories in Zamfara State in the 2019 elections.

“Meanwhile, it is an established fact that the Supreme Court had earlier declared that they can only review their judgement to correct errors. So, we wonder why the PDP is shivering over this matter as if they are aware there could be error.

“Our suspicion is supported by the PDP’s well known crooked tactic of always crying wolf when they perceive that the rule of law rather than impunity is about to take effect.

“Let it be known that the Justices of the Supreme Court have never lacked the courage to act rightly even in the face of the PDP’s usual intimidation and blackmail.

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“For the record, the public should note that the matter before the Supreme Court has nothing to do with the 2019 elections in Zamfara State that were won by the APC candidates. It is important that the public is reminded that the results of the elections were duly announced and our candidates were declared as winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We need to state that the matter in the Supreme Court has nothing to do with the outcome of the elections where the PDP was clearly defeated. In other words, the Zamfara State case shares no similarity with either the Bayelsa or Imo case.

“It is therefore irresponsible of the PDP to raise infantile accusation against the Supreme Court and our party. On this matter, PDP is an interloper and a shameless busybody.

“We call on the Judiciary to ignore the PDP’s antics and focus on ensuring justice in its ruling”.

What PDP said:

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed concerns over the Supreme Court’s decision to reserve its judgment on the Zamfara governorship election matter in which the All Progressives Congress (APC) was asking the Apex Court to review its judgment.

The party expressed the concern in a press conference addressed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan on Tuesday in Abuja.

“Our party is concerned that the surprising decision to reserve this judgment is not in tandem with the established practice of the highest court.

“This was reaffirmed in its judgments on the Bayelsa and Imo governorship elections, where it dismissed the applications for review on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction to review its own judgment,” Ologbondiyan said.

He urged the Supreme Court not to allow itself to be manipulated into a “judicial somersault”.

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