PRESS STATEMENT BY THE PLATEAU PATRIOTIC APC MEDIA FRONT, ON 12th OCTOBER, 2023.
PLATEAU POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS: SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT.
It is very imperative and apposite for us, not just as members of the All Progressives Congress in Plateau State, but as Youths of good conscience, agents of change, ambassadors of Peace, proponents of Justice, Unity, and advocates of harmonious inter-ethnic and religious co – existence and tolerance, who are dissatisfied with emerging events, trends and patterns, as it relates to the polity and politics of our dear State, Plateau.
In the build up to the 2023 general elections, the PDP vilified the APC for campaigning and identifying with H.E, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on the grounds of a Muslim -Muslim ticket, to the extent that the APC candidates sacrificed their ambitions for the emergence of President Tinubu, given the dynamics, multi-cultural and ethnic diversity associated with Plateau politics.
That those who have refused to join the bandwagon of mediocrity, fallacy, Stratagem, ethnic and religious jingoism and extremism are seen as enemies of Plateau State, is worrisome. More worrisome is the attempt to admittance of same as a norm within the Political landscape of the PDP in Plateau State.
This, the Chris Hassan led factional PDP in Plateau is trying to achieve by recruiting and commissioning people using religion to hate anyone in the APC.
We however, consider it absurd, that the same PDP that termed affiliates of President Tinubu as anti-Plateau, has now forgotten what it did and is going behind, trying to pretend like they love the President even more than the Plateau APC family. This is the height of hypocrisy!
This emerging ugly trend totally negates what our founding fathers envisaged for Plateau State, worked for, and bequeathed. If left untamed, may overheat the polity, and in the future, throw the State into avoidable chaos. And if that happens, (God forbid) the labor of our founding fathers would be tantamount to waste.
In the wake of the 2023 General elections which saw APC, PDP and Labour Parties challenging the Victories of one another before the National and State Houses of Assembly Elections Petition tribunals, as well as the State Governorship tribunal, We expected the key political players to maintain decorum, as they all await the outcomes of the tribunal verdict.
But to our utter dismay, the Hon. Chris Hassan led faction of the Plateau State chapter of the PDP, funded by the Plateau State Government under Gov. Caleb Mutfwang were apprehensive, so, started mobilizing thugs to the premises of the Jos High Court, where the 3 panels of the tribunal sat. They sponsored articles and protests smearing the image of the Judiciary on National Dailies and all manner of social media campaigns of calumny by their hired Media brigands.
In all these, the APC kept mum and faith in the Judiciary, knowing that verdicts are not supposed to be passed based on public opinions which are marred by emotions and sentiments, but by facts presented before it.
However, we are inundated to state that Panel 2 of the National and State Houses of Assembly, as well as the Plateau Governorship Panel may have succumbed to the blackmails, character assassination and intimidation of the PDP using State resources and machineries.
For the records, 3 Panels sat over the petitions of Plateau State, thus;
PANEL 1: Headed by Hon. Justice M.B Tukur, having Hon. Justice Omeka Elekwa and Hon. Justice O. A Adetujoye as members.
This panel, sacked all members of the National and State House of Assembly elected on the Platform of PDP and declared either APC or Labour Party, depending on the party that came second on the grounds that the PDP does not have valid structures to sponsor candidates in an election.
It was predicated due to PDP’s refusal to comply with orders of Courts of competent jurisdictions, which ordered it to conduct fresh Congresses from Wards, up to the State level.
To this end, the Hon. Justice Tukur’s panel applied “Stare decisis”, where in 28th October, 2022, in appeals No. CA/J/EPT/ 215/NA/2022 between Musa Agah Vs Muhammad Alkali and CA/J/EPT/ PL/HOA/ 216/2022 between Peter Da’an Dasat Vs INEC and others, where it was established that PDP does not have valid structures to sponsor candidates in an election.
Till this moment, the court order still subsists, therefore, INEC shouldn’t have included PDP in the 2023 elections in Plateau State.
We therefore, commend the astuteness and valorousness of Hon. Justice M.B Tukur led panel for refusing to yield to the desires of the PDP by dispensing Justice Fairly and Justly, and in accordance with Aristotle’s principles of Justice thus; “Equals should be treated Equally, Unequals, Unequally”.
Posterity shall be kind to this panel for saving the reputation of the Judiciary even in the face of glaring intimidation, smear and blackmail.
PANEL 2: Headed by Hon. Justice W. R. Olamide, has Hon. Justice E. N. Nwibo and Hon. Justice M. Muhammad as members, gave all judgements in favor of PDP, declining jurisdiction to refer to previous Court Judgements which were admitted as evidences.
THE GOVERNORSHIP PANEL: Headed by Hon. Justice R. I. Ijeseh with Hon. Justice S. Olorundahunsi and Hon. Justice A.Y. John as members, declared that PDP has structures, setting aside Courts judgements before it.
To our minds, the panel 2 and the Governorship Panel erred in law, by not adhering to the principles of judicial precedence, even when the electoral umpire did not admit to monitoring the PDP’s supposed repeat Congresses even when it had the opportunity to.
Furthermore, we consider it shameful that the Hon. Chris Hassan led faction of the PDP went as far as writing a petition against Panel 1, accusing it of ” deliberate perversion of Justice and conspiracy”, citing nonexistent issues.
If this petition is anything to go by, what is good for the goose, is always good for the gander, so it should be discountenanced.
It is noteworthy, that the Plateau PDP and its products are in the habit of choosing which Court order to obey and not to obey, as seen in the illegal dissolution of Democratically elected Local Government structures despite a restraining order served on the Governor, Plateau State Government and its relevant agencies from carrying out such illegal actions.
This flagrant disregard of the PDP if allowed to continue, will set a very bad precedence, and dangerous pedestrian in Plateau politics with grave and dire consequences.
We therefore, place a National call on all well-meaning Nigerians to join us on this journey to getting justice , by making a National call to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council (NJC), to set up a committee to investigate the actions of those Judges who accommodated contempt and affront on the Judiciary at this critical moment of our Nation’s history.
While the various candidates approach the higher courts to appeal their judgements, we urge law abiding citizens of Plateau State to ignore the antics of the PDP and allow the Judiciary do its job rather than resort to blackmail and intimidation that is being used as a tool to canvass public sympathy for its case that is very bad.
Finally, we wish to sincerely thank the leader of the APC in Plateau State, His Excellency, Rt.Hon. (Dr). Simon Bako Lalong, KSGG CON, ESQ, as well as all APC leaders, notably, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, CON, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, OON, Barr. Festus Funater and others, for their unwavering commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda and steering the ship of the APC and keeping it on course, as well as their continuous support for the survival of the party in the State.
We are indeed, proud of your leadership prowess and flying high, the party flag.
Similarly, We’d like to commend all our candidates for standing strong and calm, as well as our teeming youths whose faith and believe in the APC never withers despite the temporary setback.
Signed:
Charles Daniang
Chairman.
Sumata K. Samuel
Secretary,
For:
Patriotic APC Media Front.
Oracle Reporters 