The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday fired back at the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, over the comments he made on the ruling of the Supreme Court on the Bayelsa State Governorship election.
Oshiomhole, earlier on Thursday while reacting to the sacking of APC’s David Lyon by the apex court, had insisted that Lyon was democratically elected and vowed that “nobody will be sworn in on Friday as the new governor in Bayelsa State.”
However, in a statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary, PDP described Oshiomhole’s comment as an empty and inconsequential ranting.
The party warned Oshiomhole, to steer clear of Bayelsa State as his apparent plots to trigger violence in the state has failed.
The PDP further counselled Oshiomhole to be careful with his utterances and not use any forms of venomous garrulity and clear misuse of language to destabilize our nation and truncate our hard-earned democracy.
“The people of Bayelsa state knows as a fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under our laws, cannot take instructions from any individual, let alone a factional national chairman of a dysfunctional political party like the APC.
“The PDP, as a law-abiding party, counsels Oshiomhole to rein in himself and desist from all odious designs against Bayelsa state, her people and government.
“The PDP also calls on the people of Bayelsa state to remain calm as their mandate has been restored and cannot be taken away by the ranting of any individual who has no stake whatsoever in the wellbeing of his own home state.”
The Supreme Court had on Thursday nullified the election of Bayelsa State governor-elect, David Lyon and his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, who were already preparing to be inaugurated into office.
A five-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to the All Progressives Congress’ candidates as the winners of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state.
The apex court ordered INEC to issue fresh certificates to the candidates of the party with the next highest votes and with the required constitutional spread of votes in the results of the election, which are the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidates.
Justice Ejembi Ekwo, who read the lead judgment of the apex, made the orders after disqualifying the APC’s deputy governorship candidate, Degi-Eremienyo, as a candidate in the election.
The court upheld the November 12, 2019 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which had disqualified Degi-Eremienyo in the election for submitting forged certificates to INEC.
