Ebonyi PDP hails relocation of tribunal, faults protests by APC

From Chinedu Nwafor, Abakaliki

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has hailed the relocation of the State Election Petitions Tribunal to Abuja, even as it faulted the protests by the ruling All Progressives Congress  (APC) in the State against the development.

Contrary to the allegation of the APC, the party said the relocation was for the overall interest of Justice, peace, and safety.

The PDP described it as unfortunate that a well-thought-out administrative Judicial decision by His Lordship, Honourable Justice Monica Dongban  Mensen, had become the subject of crass blackmail, primitive influence peddling, name calling and obvious threats allegedly by officers of APC in Ebonyi State.

A statement signed and issued by the Acting Chairman of the PDP in Ebonyi State, Barrister Ifeanyi Nworie to journalists in Abakaliki, on Tuesday, affirmed the Party’s support to the relocation order.

Recall that on Wednesday, April, 26, 2023, the Secretary of Ebonyi State election petitions tribunal, Mr Nyior Henry Sekulla, announced the directive of the Appeal Court President, Honourable Justice Dongban-Mensen, for the relocation of the Tribunal to Abuja, a development that has generated mixed reactions from political actors in the State.

Recall also that the ruling APC in the State had in a petition to its National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, signed by its Chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha and the Secretary, Mr Charles Ofoke, faulted the relocation of the tribunal, and described it as the gimmicks of the main opposition, the People’s Democratic Party, to subvert justice.

But the State PDP acting Chairman, Mr Nworie, in a statement on Tuesday, alleged that evidence abound that the Ebonyi State government had been notorious for its hostility to the judiciary, arguing that for the safety of the Court, its staff, litigants and their witnesses, the relocation of the Tribunal was a well-thought-out decision. 

“It’s imperative to state that this is not the first time that the sitting of an Election Tribunal has been ordered to be held in a place outside the state where the elections took place.

“In the present dispensation, the President of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria has also ordered the relocation of the Election Tribunal in Rivers State and one other to Abuja. Suffice to say that Rivers State and the other State are PDP state. Therefore, the order directing the relocation of the Election Tribunal in Ebonyi State to Abuja cannot be an effort by the Peoples Democratic 

Party to subvert justice,” he stated.

Mr Nworie further argued that for neutrality, the need for parties to have free and unhindered access to the Court as well as the need for Justice to be dispensed without fear or harm to the judges among other reasons, the relocation of the tribunal was a welcomed development.

“Ebonyi State, under the present administration, has a sad and painful history of harassing and intimidating Judges who refuse to do its unlawful biddings.

“Times without number we have witnessed the barricading of Courts in Ebonyi State by thugs and hirelings of the state Government on account of decisions and judgments that did not favour the Ebonyi State Government. 

As recently as the 15th and the 16th days of February 2023, members of the dreaded Ebubeagu militia of Ebonyi State were mobilised to protest and barricade the premises of the Ebonyi State High Court and that of the Federal High Court Abakaliki on account of the judgment by Honourable Justice Riman proscribing the Ebubeagu Security outfit of Ebonyi State for being 

illegal etc. Staff, lawyers, and litigants ran and scampered for safety on each of the said occasions while 

the police did nothing.

“Furthermore, it is not disputable that the All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA) and Action Alliance (AA) also filed a Petition challenging the outcome of the Governorship election in Ebonyi State. Question is, can Professor Benard Odoh and Chijindu Odi, who are the Petitioners in that Petition freely come to ventilate their grievances in Abakaliki Ebonyi State before the Election Tribunal when the Government of Ebonyi State has declared Professor Benard Odoh wanted and is busy hunting for him despite a subsisting Court decision?

“In addition, during the collation of the Governorship election result in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, in the presence of the Commissioner of Police, the Director of State Security ( DSS), the 

Resident Electoral Commissioner of Ebonyi State, members of the Press, etc the APC collation agent threatened to slap and beat up the PDP State collation Agent and proceeded to mobilise 

thugs to the venue,” he averred.

Mr Nworie reiterated that the relocation of the Tribunal would go a long way to serve the interest of justice, even as he noted that the order was within the powers of the Court of Appeal President, Hon justice Monica Dongban-Mensen.

“The People’s Democratic party Ebonyi State Chapter wish to affirm their confidence on the Election Petition Tribunal in Ebonyi State and further submit that the action of the President

of Court of Appeal Federal Republic of Nigeria alongside the Election Petition Tribunal Members in Ebonyi State will in a long way serve interest of justice as same was carried out inline 

with the powers conferred on the aforementioned Judicial Officers by the Constitution and most importantly, it is for the overall interest of Justice, peace, fairness and equity, especially 

as same has truncated the ploy to subvert the process in Ebonyi State by APC, ” he concluded.