Says it is clear invitation to anarchy
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has accused the ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring crises in the Labour Party (LP) over the pending Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).
The group said it was evidenced by the body language of the Labor Party group under APC clandestine sponsorship which has hurriedly and hastily addressed a media or written to the PEPT, urging it to “dismiss the pending case filed by the Party and its flag-bearer against the declaration of Mr Ahmed Tinubu.”
The Chairman of Intersociety Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi in a statement said that the moves were also a clear invitation to anarchy and must not be left unmasked and unchecked.
“Circumstantially speaking, the ruling APC and the camp of its INEC-declared President-elect are found to be remotely behind the sponsored crises in the Labor Party with intent to destabilise the party and truncate the pending 2023 Presidential Election Petitions at the Court of Appeal.
“This is evidenced by the body language of the Labor Party group under APC clandestine sponsorship which has hurriedly and hastily addressed a media or written to the PEPT, urging it to dismiss the pending case filed by the Party and its flag-bearer against the declaration of Mr Ahmed Tinubu as “president-elect”; a clear circumstantial evidence of where the sponsorship is coming from. The above moves are also a clear invitation to anarchy and must not be left unmasked and unchecked.
“In a civilised and well-conducted society, the above moves would have been ignored, but Intersociety is deeply concerned because Nigeria has become a country where anything goes and anything can happen especially under the current APC-controlled political dispensation.
“This is more so when before our very eyes, the Supreme Court awarded victory to a fourth-place finisher in a Governorship Poll as “Governor of Imo State’. This was after a controversial Catholic Priest was presidentially contracted to make an immoral pronouncement: “I see hope coming to Imo State”.
“Therefore, if a fourth-place finisher could be made a Governor by Nigeria’s Supreme Court by usurping the functions of INEC and awarding figures that never existed, then is it not correct to say that the APC clandestinely sponsored LP’s factional leadership’s call on PEPT to throw away the Party and its flag-bearer’s presidential petition may judicially get through if allowed or not unmasked?. (Daily Sun)
“The remote macabre dance of APC in the Labor Party’s leadership crisis was similar to that, that took place in the then APGA over the Anambra Governorship Poll petition in 2004/2005 when internal wrangling through the offering of bribes worth millions of naira was planted by PDP with intent to scuttle the then pending Governorship petition-leading to the bought-over party leadership withdrawing its involvement and participation in the Petition and Court’s proceedings and express endorsement of Dr Ngige to continue as interloper Governor.
“The interloper Government of Ngige was later in August 2005 and March 2006 ousted by Justice Nabaruma led Tribunal and Justice Mohammed led Court of Appeal, Enugu Division,” Umeagbalasi stated.
