PDP govs hold emergency meeting over Wike’s removal

OCTOBER 25, 2015 :

Governors in the Peoples Democratic Party are angry over the v2Dterdict of the River State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja, which, on Saturday, sacked Mr. Nyesom Wike as governor of the state. 

Their anger is further amplified as Wike’s sacking came few days after a similar tribunal ordered a rerun of governorship election in 18 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State, where the electoral victory of Mr. Udom Emmanuel, a member of the party, is also in a contest.

The Rivers tribunal on Saturday asked Wike to vacate his office and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to organise a fresh election in the state within 90 days.

It was learnt that as a result of the new developments, the governors are to meet and discuss the implications of such judgments to the survival of the former ruling party.

The two affected states are oil-rich and are considered to be critical to the funding of the party ahead of its plan to re-strategise for the 2019 elections.

It was gathered that the PDP governors’ ‘emergency meeting’ is tentatively scheduled to hold on Friday.

Speaking to SUNDAY PUNCH on condition of anonymity, a PDP governor said, “These judgments are targeted at killing the PDP and we have to do something about it.

“We want to discuss where we can come in to boost the morale of the affected governors and assure them that their cases are not beyond redemption.

“We still have the opportunity of appealing the two verdicts up to the Supreme Court. And thank God, the new law doesn’t empower the tribunals to declare anyone elected. So, our hope is rekindled on this.”

The Administrator of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Mr. Osaro Onaiwu, confirmed that the opposition governors had called for an emergency meeting this week.

He said, “Yes, it is true that the PDP governors have called an emergency meeting, which is holding for Friday.

“They will discuss the judgements and take a joint position on them. Naturally, they won’t be happy. But they are meeting to discuss the issue.”

Meanwhile, the national leadership of the PDP has declared the judgment that sacked Wike as bizarre and unacceptable.

It alleged that the judgment was and part of the script by the All Progressives Congress to manipulate the will of the people.

The National Publicity Secretary, PDP, Mr. Olisa Metuh, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said indications to the judgment, which he described as spurious, had months ago been hinted to the opposition party.

Metuh said, “We invite Nigerians and the international community to recall various reprehensible steps taken by the APC government that culminated in this ruling, as well as the ridiculous Wednesday’s verdict of the Akwa-Ibom State governorship election tribunal also sitting in Abuja.”

Metuh said the relocation of the elections tribunals from their states to Abuja without any justification and the alleged constant juggling of judicial officers and members of governorship elections tribunal in PDP states, especially, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom states, were part of the reasons.

Metuh said, “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, whereby the tribunals clearly disregarded standing legal norm that a petitioner must establish proof of claims.

“Also curious is the fact that after both the petitioner and respondent agreed before the tribunal that both card reader and manual accreditations were used for the election, the tribunal still went ahead to base its decision on issues of card reader.

“While it is convenient to them to use legal technicalities to deny PDP victory in Imo, Lagos, Ogun and Yobe states, the same rules are misapplied to wickedly favour APC petitioners in Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States.

The APC however described the judgement as a deadly body blow to impunity and hooliganism.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lai Mohammed, the party said the judgement has shown clearly that the era of impunity and hooliganism is over, and that the only way for elections to have legitimacy is for them to be free, fair and credible.

“What has come across from this judgement is that there is no shortcut to free, fair and credible elections. This is part of the wind of change that is blowing across the land and touching all arms of government under the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Elections are about the expression of the will of the people, and they must always be free to express themselves, irrespective of what some desperate politicians may feel,’’ Mohammed said.

APC said politicians, especially those seeking or occupying elective office, must realise that they can only derive their legitimacy from the people.

The party hailed its governorship candidate in Rivers, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, for his doggedness and strong conviction in the pursuit of his petition against the election of Wike.

Peterside hails verdict

Peterside described the verdict as victory not just for democracy but also for justice and the rule of law.

He said this in his reaction to the tribunal’s sacking of the governor of the state, Mr. Nyesom Wike in Abuja on Saturday.

He said, “This judgment is resounding because at last, we are vindicated. The journey no doubt was tortuous but the suffering was worthwhile. It also shows that perseverance pays.

“This judgment no doubt also shows that we must continue to have faith in our judiciary as the last hope of the common man. I congratulate the good and long-suffering people of Rivers State for standing up to impunity, executive rascality and intimidation of the highest order.

“As we look forward to a fair contest, I urge our people to be calm and to continue to pray for our dear state.

“Under the last administration, our people suffered all forms of indignities because of their political leaning. Democracy is essentially about freedom and we must never, under any circumstance lose our freedom again.

“This verdict has put a nail on the coffin of electoral rascality, electoral violence, election fraud and impunity. It has restored the faith of the resilient people of Rivers State in the electoral process as a fair means of choosing leaders. I particularly thank the people of Rivers State for their resilience throughout this period.

Tribunal’s verdict not of God — Wike

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike however described the verdict against his election as a decision against the people of the state adding that he would pursue the annulment of his election to the Supreme Court.

Wike, who was addressing a crowd of supporters at the Port Harcourt International Airport said the verdict of the tribunal was not the verdict of God.

The governor stated that he had competent lawyers that could prosecute the case up to Supreme Court.

He maintained that he would never be intimidated to drop the mandate of the people.

“By my training, I am not supposed to criticise any judge for whatever opinion the judge has. Thus, what I can say is that the tribunal has given their own verdict, but we know that by the special grace of God, that is not the verdict of God. Nobody can take your mandate.

“All the gang-ups in Abuja are against Rivers State, but we must protect the interest of this state. If they like, let them use all the powers they have, but their power cannot be superior to God’s power.

“I want to urge you to be calm and be peaceful; I am still the governor of Rivers State. Our lawyers are going on appeal; we are all going on appeal. There is also the Supreme Court.”

“When the matter went to the Appeal Court, the Appeal Court said that this issue of card reader has no place in the Electoral Act. But today, I have heard that the card reader is part of our Electoral Act as far as our own election tribunal is concerned.

“They can say anything, but Rivers people’s interest must be protected. Nobody will intimidate me to abandon this state. If they like, let them summon the justices as they have been doing. But one day, God’s own pronouncement come.”

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Prince Tonye Princewill, however told Wike not to appeal the tribunal’s judgment.

Princewill said in a statement on Saturday, that even supporters of Wike knew that the governor would be removed from office due to irregularities that he said characterised the election.

He said, “If I were the PDP, I would not even bother to appeal this judgment. I’d rather head back to the court of public opinion. Ultimately that is where this matter will end.”

Meanwhile, there was wild jubilation in some parts of Port Harcourt among the supporters of the All Progressives Congress.

The Rivers State Police Command warned against any form of violence following the nullification of the governorship election in the tribuna

Contact: notimegist