TheCable

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the federal government to speak out on reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is plotting to ensure May 26 is declared a public holiday. 

The supreme court had earlier fixed May 26 to deliver judgment in a suit seeking to disqualify Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the APC.

The judgement will be delivered three days before the swearing-in of the president and vice-president-elect.

In July 2022, the PDP filed a case against Shettima’s nominations as the vice-presidential and Borno central senatorial candidate.

The PDP alleged that Shettima’s double nominations contravenes the provisions of sections 29(1), 33, 35, and 84(1)(2) of the electoral act, 2022.

In a statement on Wednesday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP’s national publicity secretary, said the APC should respect the judiciary and the supreme court in delivering justice.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) calls on the federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari to speak out on the alarming reports in the public space of moves to declare Friday, May 26, 2023 a public holiday as a ploy to stop the supreme court from sitting to deliver judgment on the disqualification case against the APC vice presidential candidate, Sen Kashim Shettima, over double nomination, already scheduled for that date,” the statement reads.

“The PDP also calls on the federal government to come clean on a further allegation, which is also in the public domain that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is mounting pressure on the Department of State Services (DSS) to advise President Buhari to declare the public holiday.

“The ominous silence by the federal government in the face of such grave allegations is heightening tension across the country and has the capacity to trigger widespread crisis if not immediately addressed.

“Such reported sinister plot by the APC against the supreme court is consistent with the insensitivity, manipulation, abuse of power and process promoted by the APC as an act of governance in the last eight years.

“The PDP, therefore, calls on President Buhari to immediately douse the palpable tension in the country by making a categorical statement with regard to the reported plots by the APC to stop the sitting of the supreme court through the declaration of a public holiday.

“Nigerians across the board are eager for the delivery of the judgement on the set date, Friday, May 26, 2023, in the disqualification case against Sen Kashim Shettima, for double nomination as APC senatorial and vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections in violation of the provision of Section 35 of the electoral act, 2022.

“Nigeria is already strained and any attempt to impose a public holiday on Friday, May 26, 2023, as a ploy to stop the supreme court from delivering its reserved judgment is capable of increasing the tension with possible dire consequences to the polity.”