Hours after the delivery of the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, the Labour Party, LP, has raised the alarm over remarks made by a retired Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili, concerning the verdict of the tribunal.
The LP, in a statement released by its spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, on Tuesday evening, also expressed concern over what it described as boastful comments being made by some ministers and other persons connected to President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The party, whose candidate, Peter Obi, is challenging Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential poll, said the statements made by Odili and the ministers amounted to a pre-emptive announcement of the judgement in favour of Tinubu.
According to the LP, the development portends danger for the country’s democracy.
“The unguarded statement from the former Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Mary Odili, in Abuja, last week at a colloquium to mark the 25th anniversary of the elevation of a renowned jurist, JK Gadzama to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.
“And the boasting of some persons, serving ministers and notable legislators about the outcome has left our party in shock.
“When those who should know the importance of the sanctity of the judiciary descend to the arena of abusing it with their pre-emptive utterances just to show loyalty and support to their interests, we as a party see this as unfortunate and dangerous to our democratic journey as a nation.
“We note also the needless lavish showering of praises on the legal counsels of both APC and candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the retired Justice when the gathering was not theirs.
“We find this extremely undignified of a renowned jurist who rose to the peak of her career in the country’s Apex court and who as the Chairperson of the body of benchers, should be at the forefront of defending the virtuousness of the courts.”
The LP, in the statement, equally expressed concern at the sudden decision of the tribunal to televise its judgement, after earlier rejecting live coverage of proceedings.
Noting that the action of the tribunal was suspicious, the statement said, “Also curious to every discerning mind watching the unfolding events in Nigeria since the February 25th Presidential election is the fact that the PEPC refused to live coverage of the hearings of the petition, and is now anxious to have the conclusion beamed live.
“What is it that has happened between the hearing period and the delivery of the judgment that the live coverage, which they claimed was a policy issue changed suddenly at the delivery point?”
Seemingly referring to the statement released by the Department of State Services, DSS, to warn of plans by unnamed politicians to sponsor riots, the Labour Party said the agents of the government intend to orchestrate problems and blame such on the opposition.
But the party insisted that citizens have the right to demonstrate in a democratic society.
“We are aware of the efforts of the agents of the States to orchestrate problems and blame them on the political opposition.
“We wish to emphasise that it is the right of the people in a democracy to demonstrate and the obligation of state security agents to protect the demonstrators and those not demonstrating.
“We implore Nigerians to remain calm and peaceful, abide by the rule of law, and understand that this matter has not reached its logical and final conclusion.
“Our concern as a critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s project, especially the democratic evolution is that what is being destroyed with all these clever by half playing on people’s intelligence is Nigeria as a nation, not necessarily an individual.
“Anybody who loves this country should appreciate the importance of due process and the rule of law because, without it, this country is going nowhere.”