TheCable

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the statement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that it was obstructing justice at the Rivers state governorship tribunal as “a failed cheap blackmail and an infantile attempt to cover its illegality of using state security agencies to attempt to subvert the victory of the PDP in the governorship election in the state”.

The party said that the APC’s reaction to the petition written to President Muhammadu Buhari by 16 PDP federal lawmakers from Rivers state, showed its desperation to grab power through the back door, in a state where it was roundly rejected by the electorates”.

The APC through, Lai Mohammed,  its spokesman, had described as “deceitful, obstructionist and provocative” the petition written to Buhari, saying “those who are blatantly obstructing the course of justice are the same ones now trying to play the victim”.

The party also alleged that the PDP and INEC were frustrating the process of justice at the tribunal.

But in a statement on Thursday, Olisa Metuh, PDP spokesman, said: “The APC’s statement was aimed at blackmailing judicial and electoral officers in the state as well as to justify the reprehensible use of the security agencies to intimidate and attempt to arm-twist them to do its bidding.

“The PDP invites Nigerians to continue to note the various antics of the APC in its desperate scheme to corrupt the judicial process and steal the mandate freely given to the PDP by the people of Rivers state, including the use of operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the military to hound and intimidate INEC and judicial officers to get them to do their bidding.

“We are also aware of all the clandestine moves by the APC to capture power in Rivers and other PDP states, including Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Abia and Taraba states by all means, using such ploy.

“Our answer to the APC is that their antics cannot yield any results. These states are core PDP state and no amount of propaganda, blackmail, threats and intimidation can overturn the resounding verdict of the people as expressed in the governorship elections.”

PDP urged security agencies and other stakeholders in the electoral tribunal process in these states to be on the alert and ensure that they do not succumb to the antics of the APC.

It also charged its members in these state to remain vigilant and continue to use all legitimate means available within the ambit of the law to resist attempts by the APC to undermine their will as expressed at the polls.