Tribunal: PDP Accuses APC of Planned Protests, Ridicule Of Judiciary

The Osun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of its plans to organise protests to discredit the recent judgement of the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

The PDP chairman, Hon Soji Adagunodo made the allegation while addressing journalists in Osogbo on Tuesday.

Adagunodo who said there was nothing APC could do to pervert the course of justice, condemned the act he described as ‘desperation of sacked Governor and his party and his party which are apparently meant to blackmail the Election petition tribunal and put undue pressure on the appellate courts’

The PDP Chairman, however accused the state government of earmarking a sum of 500 million naira to mobilise students, various individuals and hired groups to be used for the protest.

“I am compelled this morning to address you on certain developments following the judgement of the Osun State governorship election petition tribunal which returned the candidate of our Party, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the September 22nd 2018 Governorship election.

“You will all recall that upon the declaration of Senator Adeleke as the actual winner of the election, there were spontaneous applause and jubilation all across the state.

“This was a reflection of the true wishes and aspiration of the people of Osun State who freely gave their mandate to the PDP candidate and were so disappointed when the Electoral body in cahoots with anti-democratic forces manipulated the process through what is now infamously known as remote control.

“The verdict of the Tribunal was therefore a restoration of hope in the sanctity of the ballot box and the rule of law over the whims and caprice of desperate power seekers.”

According to Adagunodo, “It is however disheartening to inform the whole world about plans by the APC and the sacked government of Mr Gboyega Oyetola to orchestrate a series of phantom protests and demonstrations in parts of Osun State and Abuja against the well thought out judgement of the Tribunal.

“We have it on good authority that leaders of the APC and top functionaries of the State government have in the last 48 hours held series of meetings with some Students Union leaders and pseudo activists to plan the fake demonstrations.

“Monies running into over 500 million Naira have been earmarked as mobilisation fees for the various individuals and hired groups to be used for the ignoble exercise”

“Furthermore, Local Government chairmen are also being forced to cough out sums ranging between 20 and 30 million Naira to support sponsorship of newspaper articles and Television appearances to impugn on the integrity of the Hon Justices of the Tribunal and ridicule the judgement.

“We condemn these acts of desperation of the sacked Governor and his party which are apparently meant to blackmail the Election petition tribunal and put undue pressure on the appellate courts.

“We also want to sound a note of warning to Government Ministries, agencies, local governments and parastatals to resist any plans to use them as conduit pipes to siphon monies in the guise of sponsoring the planned protests.

“We call on the Police, DSS and other security agencies to put a check on these nefarious plans as they will obviously constitute a threat to the peace and security of Osun State.

“We assure the good people of Osun State that our Party and the Governor-elect, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke will continue to defend the mandate given to us through all legal and constitutional means.

“We will remain resolute in our resolve to restore the glory of our dear State and return government back to the people who have been robbed, pillaged and oppressed by the Lagos invaders in the last 8 years.

Reacting, APC spokesperson, Barr Kunle Oyatomi, debunked the allegation, saying the party does not have not time for toothless conversation.

He said: “The APC does not want to engage with the PDP in Osun in useless and toothless conversation, especially so, because 95% of the time that they speak, it’s all fabrication and this one is even fatuous, they have brought into the political arena in Osun since January 2019.

“The good people of Osun and our knowledgeable security agencies should completely discountenance those allegations because they have no foundation in facts and figures. The PDP is looking for a roforofo fight, but we in APC dont belong in the gutters.