Edo 2020: PDP Raises Alarm over APC’s Ceaseless Attacks on Judiciary

…says selection of court to hear cases portends grave danger to Democracy.

By Simeon OSAJIE

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has raised alarm over what it described as the ceaseless attacks on the judiciary by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). 

State Publicity Secretary of the Edo State Chapter of the PDP, Chris Nehikhare, who spoke on behalf of the party’s Campaign Council, in Benin City, also decried APC’s selection of the particular courts and judges to hear cases involving its members, bordering on the gubernatorial election in the state. 

The PDP Campaign Council said: “We members of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) have called this press conference to bring to the attention of the public the ceaseless attacks on the Judiciary, the last hope of the common man. 

“On Monday, August 24, 2020, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John T. Tsoho, granted the application filed by the APC for the transfer of five cases bordering on the September 19 gubernatorial election in Edo State, which have been running in the Benin Division of the Federal High Court. 

“The transfer of the cases followed a request by the APC, in which the party alleged that Justices in the entire Benin Division of the Federal High Court have shown bias against the party (APC), and the party said it would not get justice from these respected Judges.” 

Nehikhare noted: “With this singular action of the APC, the party has denigrated the entire judiciary, attacked its integrity and independence to do its job, scandalised and vilified the respected Judges in these courts. 

“The APC also made wild and unsubstantiated allegations of bias against Justice M. G. Umar of the Federal High Court Benin and Justice Taiwo Taiwo in Abuja, and assaulted their character.” 

He explained that “After a careful appraisal of this development, we have come to the conclusion that the APC is on a forum shopping mission; to pick and choose which court will hear their cases, a dangerous practice where litigants select the particular courts that they want their cases heard, and which they believe will give them favorable judgments.” 

The PDP queried: “Is the APC telling Nigerians that the party has some courts that will give them favourable judgments, and another set of courts that shows bias against them?”  

 “This portends grave danger to our fledgling democracy and society, and an attempt by the APC to arm-twist the judiciary and force judges to bow to their tune. 

“The APC also alleged insecurity in Edo State even when the facts on ground show clearly that the state is secure.

“In fact, the few pockets of unrest we have witnessed in the state were orchestrated by APC leaders and their proxies, and we can deduce that APC leaders may have instigated the unrest to serve as alibi for the transfer application of their cases, which the party has now secured,” he declared. 

But in a swift response, the Chairman of the Edo State APC Media Campaign Council, Mr. John Mayaki wondered why the PDP reacted with "mischievous hysteria", to the granting of a routine application to guarantee justice for both parties in the suits.

"The chief judge of the Federal High Court acted on the merit of the APC application, and did what honest and proper procedure demanded," a release by the Edo APC campaign explained.  "How that equated an attack on the judiciary and forum-shopping only exists in the PDP's jittery and frenzied application."

The APC said it had nothing but high praise and respect for the courts, for taking actions that would assure everyone of justice and fairness; but wondered why the PDP was dragging the courts to the partisan front.  

"We should be very wary of dragging the judiciary into politics," the party warned, adding that even a desperate PDP should know that.

The APC wondered why, in its "idleness and listlessness", the PDP had suddenly turned  spokespersons for the judiciary, instead of focusing on its campaign, where it was losing steam, every passing second.

It added that this news conference was the latest example of how the Edo PDP wasted its time on "frivolities", explaining however that the PDP was employing such ploys to excuse the electoral disaster that awaits it on September 19.

"Let the world bear us witness.  When we, the APC, were busy campaigning and selling our message of hope and SIMPLE Agenda to our Edo people, PDP was busy addressing useless press conferences to push out lies and deceit. When it loses badly on election day," the party added, "it would rush to the same press conference to lament its failure and allege rigging."