Rivers Polls: S’ Court Got It Right -PDP

The Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Bro Felix Obuah, says there is nothing wrong with the January 27, 2016, judgment delivered unanimously by the seven Supreme Court’s jurists led by the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mahmud Muhammed.
Obuah explained, in a statement issued by his media aide, Jerry Needam, that the PDP was not pleased with the comments emanating from the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie–Oyegun, that there was something fundamentally wrong with the judicial arm of government over the Supreme Court’s judgment in favour of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, saying that that was not a view expected of a statesman he ought to be.
The PDP chairman described Oyegun’s position as not only disrespectful to the eminent Justices, the judiciary and the apex court in the land but a dangerous threat to the survival of the hard-earned democracy in the nation, adding that it was most unfortunate and disappointing that such statement could come from a senior citizen like Odigie-Oyegun.
He noted that rather than commend the Justices of the Supreme Court for taking action to maintain the independence and unbiased position of the judiciary by declaring sound judgments as in the case of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Abia and Ebonyi states, Oyegun preferred to make such derogatory and unpatriotic statements about the judiciary.
“One thing is certain, and that is the fact that the Supreme Court Justices toed the path of honour and dignity by not yielding to the pressure and influence of the APC-led Federal Government, demanding the nullification of the elections of the affected PDP state governors; a commendable feat by the Supreme Court’s Justices.
“Another truth revealed to us in Oyegun’s statements is the fact that the APC leadership is not interested in the development and welfare of the people or simply put, good governance, but obviously interested in the economic resources of the States,” Obuah said.
It would be recalled that Oyegun had, in the statement, said: “we (APC) have lost every important resource-rich state to the PDP. No matter how crude oil prices have fallen, it is still the most important revenue earner for the country.”
PDP said the statement clearly exposes the selfish and economic interest of the APC, rather than genuine quest for the development of the states.
Obuah said other issues of serious concern include the desperate declaration to the Rivers APC delegation that the national leadership of the party will give necessary support to ensure success in subsequent elections in Rivers State, while responding to an earlier request by the leader of the delegation, Dr Dakuku Peterside, for the Federal Government and the APC national leadership to “do all that it takes to win all 12 House of Representatives seats, three Senate seats and 22 seats in the state House of Assembly, that will enable us produce the Speaker of the House.
“Our view of this position is that even if it requires setting the state ablaze just for the APC to secure all these seats in the elections, it is of no consequence to the APC. This must not be allowed to be witnessed in our state, especially when everyone has his or her fundamental rights to vote for candidates of his or her choice.
“It is, therefore, important that we remind the APC leadership that we are in a democracy where the three arms of government must be made to function independently, with checks and balances; where people should be allowed to take decision based on their conviction and choice.
“It is only in a dictatorial regime that Oyegun’s policies and principles can thrive. The people have spoken and God has heard the voices of the people through the decision of the Supreme Court. Only Odigie-Oyegun and the APC leadership know what they mean by investigating the judgment of the Apex Court.”
PDP called on all Nigerians to be on the alert on what the APC-led government wants to turn the judiciary and the entire country into.
“We also call on the international community to prevail on the APC national leadership to respect the Constitution of the land, and subject themselves to the rule of law as it is only through this that the rights of individuals and institutions can be guaranteed, thereby paving the way for meaningful development and peace in the country,” Obuah charged.
Meanwhile, a group, under the aegis of Foundation for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (FHRACC), has faulted a recent statement credited to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun over the judgment of the Supreme Court on the Rivers governorship election.
The party leader had in a statement faulted the judgment of the court, which upheld the election of Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party as the governor of the state.
He said the apex court and its judges should be probed for delivering judgment in favour of the PDP.
Reacting to Oyegun’s submission, the group said his statement was an affront to the independent of the judiciary.
FHRACC in a statement by its president, Alaowei Cleric Esq., the group warned the party chieftain to stop heating up the polity with his sentimental statement.
“The statement accredited to the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun in some national dailies on the 4th of February, 2016 where he was quoted to have said that the Supreme Court Judges should be probed for delivering judgment in favour of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State. The said statement which was not only made in bad light, it was made to denigrate the sanctity of the judiciary. “His careless and irresponsible statement which is lacking in substance in our view exposes the failed plan of the APC led-Government to turn the judiciary to an agency of the executive arm in order to serve its whims and caprices.
“If a person of Oyegun’s repute can make such incongruous statement, ostensibly to serve his party’s interest as against national interest, then our democracy is in great danger. No wonder President Buhari said the judiciary is his biggest headache. Oyegun who was gloating over the contradictory and conflicting judgments the lower courts were given in the same election matters in favour of his party did not deemed it proper to call for probe of those judges now calling for the probe of the Supreme Court Justices because the judicial pendulum swing against his party? What a shame?
In an in-depth look at the wordings of the APC Chairman, we can safely inferred that the ruling government has set in motion, a machinery to cage the judiciary thereby turning the country into a tyrannical conclave where it can rule the country by blood and iron. This is a dangerous tendency to our body polity. Nigerians should be vigilant to resist this despotic approach of governance. We therefore call on the National Assembly to be alive to resist the APC’s tyrannical approach to kill our fledging democracy.”

Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George (right), receiving a document from President, (Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Rotimi Oladele, during a courtesy visit to the commissioner in Port Harcourt, yesterday