Zamfara: PDP Berates Buhari over Sagay’s Comments on Supreme Court Justices

Zamfara: PDP Berates Buhari over Sagay’s Comments on Supreme Court Justices

•   Vows to reclaim Anambra in 2021

Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for allowing the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay to cast aspersions on the integrity of the Justices of the Supreme Court over the Court’s judgments on Rivers and Zamfara states’s elections.

The main opposition party has also vowed to reclaim Anambra State in 2021.

The apex court had recently voided the participation of all the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the last general election in Rivers and Zamfara states.

Responding to the judgment, Sagay had urged the APC legal team to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of its judgments, claiming that the court’s verdicts were a travesty of justice.

Reacting to his comments, the PDP,  in a statement issued yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said that Sagay’s comment had also revealed the level of condescension, derision and contempt the Buhari’s presidency and the APC have for the Justices of the Supreme Court.

The main opposition party said that by declaring the upholding of justice by the Supreme Court as a “national tragedy” and “unimaginable injustice,” and suggesting that, “we (probably, his party members) should not allow” the judgment as delivered,  Sagay was calling for anarchy and rebelliousness against the country’s constitutional democratic order and rule of law.

The party noted that Sagay’s resort to incitement and hate language against the Supreme Court justices further exposed the desperation of the presidency and the APC to cow, blackmail, intimidate and attempt to annex the judiciary, particularly, the Supreme Court, ahead of the determination of PDP’s presidential election petition, now before the Court of Appeal.

Ologbondiyan stated: “There is no way Prof. Sagay, a professor of Law, can justify his call for the rejection of the Supreme Court judgment on Zamfara and Rivers states, as the judgments are in protection of rule of law, democratic ethos as well as the wishes and aspirations of the people over the attempt by the APC to take control of their states through manipulations and awarding of fictitious votes to their candidates.

“Our party believes that such intentional attack on the integrity of the Supreme Court can only emanate from feverish apprehensions by the Buhari’s presidency and the APC that they might not have their way in the presidential election petition, hence this resort to blackmail.

“As a law-abiding party, the PDP holds the integrity of the justices as well as the institution of the judiciary very high and do not support this attempt by agents of the APC to clip and sequester the judiciary for their partisan interests.”

The PDP therefore called on the Supreme Court Justices to note the machinations of the APC and continue to be firm in upholding justice as has been demonstrated in the judgments on Rivers and Zamfara states elections, which serve as lessons to political parties to adhere strictly to rules of internal democracy in our electoral processes.

 Meanwhile, the National Vice Chairman (South-east) of the PDP, Chief Austin Umahi has said that the party will reclaim Anambra State in 2021.

He said the party will legally stop at nothing in taking control of the five South-east states, stressing that winning Anambra in 2021 will complete the circle.

Speaking during the weekend in Ogidi  in Idemili North Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State at a reception organised for the South-east zonal leadership of PDP, by a party stalwart and stakeholder, Chief Obiora Okonkwo, Umahi warned that the era of imposition of candidates was over.

He also assured of level-playing field for every aspirant in the party, stating that the people will henceforth exercise their franchise in a free manner.

He lauded the leadership of PDP in the state for the renewed vigor and unity in the party noting that performance of the party at the 2019 presidential election was a demonstration of the party’s determination to reclaim the state.

Umahi also lauded Okonkwo for his continued support for the party, saying the PDP chieftain has been untiring in his demonstration of deep faith and commitment to the fortunes of PDP.

According to him, Okonkwo has been a very strong pillar of support for the great party, adding that the future of PDP in Anambra State is now brighter with the unity of purpose, which the members demonstrated at the last general election.

Umahi, who described the Anambra State PDP Chairman, Nieves Ndubisi Nwosu as a “politician with a difference”, told party members that “if we come together the way we have demonstrated today, we will rise beyond anybody and nobody will have the capacity to stop us.

“Therefore, we must go back to possess our possession. The people’s voices must be heard and Anambra will bounce back again,” he added.

Earlier in his address, Okonkwo lauded Umahi for the impressive outing of the party in the south-east at the last general election.

He said Umahi’s leadership played a vital role in the reclamation of Imo State by the PDP, adding that with the feat, the stage is now set for PDP to add Anambra State to its kitty.

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