The Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) has rejected the court order stopping the collation of pending results of
the Bauchi governorship election.
The party described the order as
unconstitutional, and threatened to obtain similar ones stopping the swearing
in of all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) “particularly
President Muhammadu Buhari”.
A federal high court in Abuja had
given an ex parte order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) to halt the collation of results from Tafawa Balewa local government
area of Bauchi state.
The court gave the order while
ruling on a suit filed by Mohammed Abubakar, governor of the state who is of
the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reacting via a statement, Kola
Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesman, accused the APC of arm-twisting the judiciary over
the election which he claims his party has won.
“Our party should not be
constrained into a situation in which we will have no option than to allow our
members to seek similar ex parte orders to halt statutory processes including
the swearing-in of APC candidates at various levels, particularly President
Muhammadu Buhari,” Ologbondiyan said.
“The party alerts that such
development, which is akin to the infamous order that derailed the 1993
democratic process, is part of the plot by the APC and certain compromised
elements in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to escalate
crisis and derail our electoral process.
“The power to collate, suspend
collation and or to reverse such decision based on obvious circumstances as the
case in Bauchi is clearly within the domain of INEC.”
The party added that until
collation is completed and results declared, “no one can question the
constitutional powers of INEC.”
“Our party should not be
constrained into a situation in which we will have no option than to allow our
members to seek similar exparte orders to halt statutory processes including
the swearing-in of APC candidates at various levels, particularly President
Muhammadu Buhari,” it said.
“It is clear that collation of
result is part of the electoral process and that INEC cannot act on a purported
exparte order to jettison its independence and halt the collation of results,
which is a key component of its statutory electoral duty.
“Our party therefore charges INEC
to be properly guided by the law in this regard.”
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