THE All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday clashed over the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the February 23 presidential election Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
PDP and Atiku are challenging the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) judgment validating President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory.
The APC also seeks the reversal of a portion of the lower court’s decision through a cross-appeal.
The apex court has fixed tomorrow to hear both appeals.
But ahead of the hearing, the APC on Monday accused the PDP using foreign media to blackmail the judiciary.
APC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu alerted Nigerians to an alleged plan to pursue an agenda against the country’s interests for the next four years, urging Nigerians to be vigilant.
The PDP, however, described the allegations as a hoax. Its spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan said the ruling party was only crying wolf where there was none.
According to Issa-Onilu, the opposition party and its candidate procured the services some international columnists to regularly push out alleged false articles, which would be published in reputable international media outlets, to blackmail justices of the Supreme Court over the PDP petition.
Issa-Onilu said an American lawyer and former member of the President Ronald Reagan’s administration was one of those contracted to execute the media attack on the Supreme Court Justices.
The APC said: “Ahead of the hearings of the Supreme Court on the 2019 presidential election petition, the All Progressives Congress (APC) alerts Nigerians on a new and sinister plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to malign Supreme Court Justices using foreign media organisations.
“The fresh plot by the opposition PDP after being comprehensively rejected by Nigerians at the 2019 Presidential election is to cause confusion and anarchy to make this country ungovernable.
“It is to be noted that PDP has made up its mind to pursue a destructive agenda against Nigeria for the next four years. This is no longer opposition politics. It is an unpatriotic agenda by people who do not mean well for their country. We must continue to alert Nigerian to the devious plan of the PDP.
“The judiciary is an important institution and its integrity cannot be subjected to political machinations. It is the responsibility of every truly patriotic Nigerian to rise against the PDP to ensure they do not succeed in undermining our corporate existence.
“The judgment of the 2019 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal dismissed in its entirety the petition filed by the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. We are confident that the Supreme Court will further and finally affirm President Muhammadu Buhari’s election victory.
“We are also confident that the Judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court will not succumb to the opposition PDP’s subterfuge.
“We must continue to resist the unrelenting efforts being made by the PDP and their minions such as the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), few social media worms spreading and promoting face and destructive news in their attempt to truncate our movement towards greatness.
“As part of the PDP and Atiku’s post-election delusions and scheming, the so-called Coalition of United Political Parties has the devious mandate to intimidate and blackmail important state institutions such as INEC, the judiciary, and security agencies, on behalf of PDP.
“APC’s victory at the presidential polls and the election tribunal represents our collective desire as a people to remain focused on the progressive growth and development of our country’s economy, fight against corruption, and providing security.”
In its reaction, the PDP dismissed the APC allegations, describing them as unfounded.
Ologbodiyan told our reporters on the telephone: “The allegations are irresponsible. The PDP will respond to them in due course.”
