The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has questioned the decision of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to appeal the ruling of the Presidential election petition Tribunal in which its preliminary objections to the CPC’s petition were thrown out.
The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has questioned the decision of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to appeal the ruling of the Presidential election petition Tribunal in which its preliminary objections to the CPC’s petition were thrown out.
In a press statement signed by Rotimi Fashakin, its National Publicity Secretary, the CPC pointed out that given the fairness and credibility that has been attributed to last April’s the presidential election, the PDP-led Federal Government should be happy to be presenting credible arguments at the tribunal in support of those claims.
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“Whilst acknowledging the rights of any citizen (corporate or private) to seek judicial adjudication over any matter, this desperate move by PDP to truncate the election petition with some noxious legal technicalities is befuddling,” the statement said.
Among other questions, the Congress asked: “Is PDP afraid that the mendacious claim of fairness and credibility of the Presidential election shall be demolished by the motley of evidence of travesties to be presented by CPC?”
Full text of the statement:
CPC accepts PDP’s decision to appeal Election Petition Tribunal Ruling, but….!
The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has noted with studied silence the decision of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to appeal the ruling of the Presidential election petition Tribunal, wherein the preliminary objections to CPC’s petition were thrown out.
Whilst acknowledging the rights of any citizen (corporate or private) to seek judicial adjudication over any matter, this desperate move by PDP to truncate the election petition with some noxious legal technicalities is befuddling. If all that have been parroted about the presidential election on April 16, 2011 (about fairness and credibility) is true in material and content; then, the PDP-led Federal Government should be seen to be marshaling credible arguments in supporting these claims at the Petitions Tribunal.
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The pertinent posers to this PDP’s latest decision are:
· Is PDP afraid that the mendacious claim of fairness and credibility of the Presidential election shall be demolished by the motley of evidence of travesties to be presented by CPC?
· Is PDP trying to rob the Nigerian people the benefit of witnessing a judicial process that would greatly enrich the Nation’s jurisprudence on electoral matters?
· Is PDP not ready to allow the test of the elasticity of the integrity of the Nation’s electoral system as a major bulwark for future optimization techniques of same?
With much gusto, therefore, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) concurs with Lord Mansfield in his 1770 landmark judgement: ‘fiat justitia ruat caelum’ –let justice be done though the Heavens fall. This, we believe, is the duty of the Court.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Rotimi Fashakin. (Engr.)
National Publicity Secretary, CPC.
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