The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised an alarm over an alleged plan by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to influence the decision of the panel presiding over the presidential election petition tribunal.
The PDP made this known at a press conference held on Sunday in Abuja.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, alleged that the ruling party is attempting to influence the tribunal’s judgment in favor of its candidate, Bola Tinubu. He, however, did not provide evidence to back the allegation.
The opposition party also accused APC leaders of intimidating, harassing, and threatening Nigerian youths and eminent personalities for speaking out against the potential outcome of the presidential election.
“There are apprehensions in the public space, having regards to the reputation of certain individuals within the highest level of the APC who have demonstrated capacity and proclivity to compromise democratic institutions in our country,” Ologunagba said.
The PDP also alleged that certain APC leaders are attempting to compromise the judiciary with heavy financial inducement and to orchestrate trumped-up allegations of impropriety against judicial officers.
“The PDP calls on the APC and its leaders to immediately come clean and publicly address Nigerians and the world on these disturbing allegations and revelations which are already in the public domain,” Ologunagba said.
“Further to this is the provocative resort by the APC and its leaders to threaten Nigerians with treason for speaking out against the manipulations of our democratic processes by the APC.”
The opposition party also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being “complicit” by attempting to impede its petition.
“It is instructive for INEC and the APC to note that the tribunal hearing is part of the electoral process. The APC and INEC are, therefore, advised to halt further steps to hinder the ability of the presidential election petition tribunal to dispense justice in the matter in accordance with the law,” Ologunagba said.
“The PDP, therefore, restates its call on the judiciary to resist and insulate itself from the alleged and reported antics of the APC in the discharge of its constitutional duties as an independent and impartial arbiter in the pending petition before the presidential election petition tribunal.”
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