PDP Accuses Amaechi, Malami of Plots To Cause Constitutional Crisis in Rivers State
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says it has uncovered plots by the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, in collaboration with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami SAN, to cause constitutional crisis in Rivers State.
The PDP at a press conference alleged that: ”… desperate leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC),and their agents have been mounting pressure on the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Mohammed, to reverse the February 12, 2019 final judgment of the Supreme Court, which upheld the verdict of the trial court that lawfully excluded the APC from participating in the National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly Elections in Rivers State, having nullified the party’s flawed primaries in the state.
Going down memory lane, the party said,”Nigerians can recall that in nullifying the APC primaries and barring it from fielding any candidates in Rivers State for the 2019 general elections, the High Court held, and rightly too, that APCs’ primaries in the state were invalid and cannot be considered.
Acting upon the final judgment of the Supreme Court, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on February 23, 2019 held the Presidential/National Assembly elections and on March 9, 2019 conducted the governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Rivers state, in which the APC, having been lawfully excluded, did not participate. ”
The party accused the APC that, after being lawfully excluded from the race, used compromised security agents to violently disrupt the smooth conduct of elections in Rivers State.
The party also noted that: ”In the course of the elections, the APC however adopted the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), bankrolled his election and made compromised security agents and thugs available to him, with the view to using them to muscle votes.”
But the PDP said that, despite the intrigues, it is aware of how the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, went about Rivers State, assuring those who cared to listen to him,” that he has the ears of the Supreme Court under the leadership of Acting CJN, Justice Tanko Mohammed, and that the Supreme Court will reverse its final judgment on APC Primaries and create the way for fresh elections in Rivers State, in which the APC will be allowed to participate.”
The PDP stated that Mr. Rotimi Amaechi had boasted that the Supreme Court will reverse itself and declare fresh conduct of all the elections in Rivers State.
But the PDP expressed satisfaction that, in spite of the plots by the ruling party, the will of the people of Rivers State prevailed, as they braved the odds, resisted all machinations and voted overwhelmingly for the PDP and all its candidates.
PDP pointed to the spontaneous jubilation that greeted the victory of Governor Wike in Rivers State and across the country, in addition to the general outpouring of goodwill which “clearly demonstrates the PDP’s popularity and acceptance not only by the people of Rivers, but also by lovers of democracy all over world.”
The opposition party also accused the leader of the APC in the state, Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, for engaging in fresh conspiracies to subvert the will of the people as expressed at the polls.
The leadership of the PDP however noted that the moves by the Minister of Transport “is completely reprehensible and unthinkable in our democratic process,” adding that, allowing such to happen will be tantamount to
travesty of justice, apart from being a direct abuse of court process. The statement by the PDP noted that ”The Supreme Court is the highest temple of justice in our country and as such must protect itself from all forms of manipulative tendencies of the APC.”
But, it reminded the ruling party that the jubilation across the country that trailed its February 12 final judgment is a testament of justice and a reinforcement of the confidence Nigerians have in the Supreme Court, which must not be destroyed by the APC.
The PDP called upon the Acting CJN not to allow his office to be used by desperate power mongers in the APC to cause anarchy and perpetrate more violence in Rivers State.
The PDP stressed that fact that , Rivers State had experienced so much crisis, bloodletting, harassment and intimidations from the APC in its desperation to forcefully take over the state and this should not be allowed to continue.
In a statement signed by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party expressed the confidence that, the people , out of their collective will ”have spoken loudly on their choice of PDP and all its candidates,” and , as such, should be allowed to move ahead with their leaders , adding that, “no institution of government should lend itself as an instrument in the hands of oppressive forces seeking to undermine our democracy and subjugate our citizenry.’’
