PDP reacts to alleged “plot to plunge Benue into violence uncovered”

Re: “PLOT TO PLUNGE BENUE INTO VIOLENCE UNCOVERED.”

The attention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),Benue State Chapter has been drawn to a publication in the Nation: Monday, October 28,2019,at page 42 by a Group,the Middle Belt Vanguard for Democracy and Good Governance.

This group through a statement released on its behalf by its president, Chief Justus Obekpa identified Former Senate President David Mark and His Excellency the Executive Governor of Benue State,Dr. Samuel Ortom as those involved in the manipulation of the judiciary behind the scene.

Ordinarily, the People’s Democratic Party would not have reacted to these allegations; but because,the allegations are serious in nature and affect our faithful party members; and is an attempt to diminish the trust and confidence,which the public place on the judiciary; we cause to make this rejoinder .

We wish to inform the public that the press release is borne out of malice and is an attempt to create mischief and disaffection targeted towards the PDP family, and the good people Benue State.

Recall that the PDP family, Benue State Chapter and its candidates, campaigned during the electioneering period ; won elections in majority if not all polling units despite several attempts by the APC and its leadership in that state to cause mayhem and break down of law and order in the state. The APC woefully lost and proceeded to the various Election Petition Tribunals that were setup in the state to challenge the victory and return of the PDP and her candidates.

Our candidates and the party have defended and are still defending their God-giving mandate legally at the Appellate Court after all the petition were heard and determined by the respective Election Petition Panels.

Consequently,the APC and her Candidates through their lawyers presented before the Election Petition Panels; poor, ill-researched and ill-drafted skeletal petitions that no reasonable Election Petition Panel could have decided otherwise based on the facts presented before them.

To elucidate further; in one of the Petitions that was to be decided by one of the Panels’ ;that is ; GWAZA UJAMTYU V. TITUS UBA; One of the counsel to the Petitioners had even before hearing; wrote a petition against the panel that was to hear the Petition. The lawyer alleged in his petition that he saw the panel chairman exchanging pleasantries with one of the counsel to the respondent after the panel had risen from one of its sittings. The panel had to rescue its self from the Petition and a new panel was set up to hear this petition.

The initial panel members in GWAZA UJAMATYU V. TITUS UBA recused itself from the petition in order to forestall any accusations that may arise that they may be bias in the final judgement after hearing the petition. The APC members are aware of this fact.

We also make bold to say that; in other petitions before other panels; Particularly petitions done by the same counsel,he either wrote one petition against the panel and blazingly accused the panel of bias and the PDP and its members for buying over the judge even before the petitions were heard,determined and judgement pronounced.

As a party;speaking from an informed position;election petition are sui generis (of a specific class). Unlike other normal civil cases; one must plead and prove the allegation of irregularities enumerated in the petition and the infractions with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended). The failure to prove same would amount to a dismissal of petition.

No reasonable Tribunal could have held that the elections conducted by the un-bias umpire Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were not correct or authentic in Benue State. Even when witnesses were called before the Election Petition Panels to ascertain if the elections were conducted in line the Electoral Act,many if not all chorused that the election was conducted peacefully and in accordance with the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended).
Even on the appeal; decided so far; the Appellate court has affirmed the victories of the PDP and its candidates.

Consequent on the above ,the APC should vent their drunken frustration on their members who could not campaign and convince the electorates to come out en-mass and vote for their party the APC.

It may interest you to also note that they all relied on federal might to win both at the polls and at the
tribunal.

The APC and its members had decided these petitions even before they were filed; the APC was busy shouting “SE MBA NGOHOL” meaning; “we are retrieving our mandate.

We advise the APC, the Middle Belt Vanguard for the Democracy and Good Governance not to drag our beloved judiciary into the murky waters of politics.

We the PDP in Benue state believe in our members who stood resolute in the face of threat before,during and after the elections. They have also supported us to defend our God-given mandate at the Election Petition Tribunal and appeals.

We as a party advise the APC, that the appropriate forum to vent electoral grievances is in the law Courts. The idea of causing to make defamatory write ups; which even a kindergarten pupil can easily discern or glean that such write-ups are aimed at causing mischief and targeted to destroy the image of our great party.

We therefore find this press release offensive and Strongly condemn same as a party. We demand for the immediate retraction of this press release within 24 hours and the immediate arrest and prosecution of the author or we shall be compelled to proceed with any legal action at our disposal.

Signed:
Hon. Sir John Ngbede
State Chairman PDP