From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has condemned Monday’s protest by the Labour Party (LP) over Court of Appeal’s nullification of the election of the Senate Minority Chief Whip, Darlington Nwokocha, describing it as irresponsible.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos had at the weekend, nullified the election of Nwokocha (LP), representing Abia Central Senatotrial zone and replaced him with Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd.) of the PDP.
A statement signed by Abraham Amah,
Abia PDP Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary, said the protest led by the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Emmanuel Emeruwa was laughable.
The statement read in part, “The Abia PDP had issued a press statement on Sunday after it received intelligence reports that the Labour Party had mobilised its members in Ikwuano LGA, the home LGA of Senator-elect, Col. Akobundu, and across the State to embark on an-unheard-of-march to protest the judgment of a court of competent and final jurisdiction and alerted the security agencies to stop the protest and forestall the breakdown of law and order in the State.
“Despite our warnings, we are surprised that the Labour Party did not heed our advice and went ahead with the ill-advised protest which is not only unconscionable but also nonsensical and laughable given that the Court of Appeal would never bow to such a hilarious arm twisting and reverse itself because a bunch of hoodlums threatened to unleash mayhem in the State after a particular judgment did not go in its favour.
“The resort to such infantile tactic is very unintelligent and speaks to the calibre of people who populate the Labour Party and the gradual descent of Abia to the most absurd level of indecency under the watch of Alex Otti and the Labour Party.”
Amah stated that facts at his disposal indicated that the Abia State government masterminded the exercise it dubbed the ‘Mother of all Protests’ in Nigeria, spending several millions of Naira to sponsor it.
PDP said the actions of the Labour Party were unbecoming of an organisation that was supposed to function as a political party and a responsible corporate citizen.
Amah accused the state chairman of LP, Ceekay Igara of throwing caution to the winds when he addressed a press briefing and assumed the role of an “Agent Provocateur and Judge Extraordinaire to reject the judgement and lecture Abians, Nigerians and the Press on why the ruling of a validly constituted court should not stand because a member of his party was removed from office.”
The statement said the resort by LP to protests and demonstrations was a new low in the Party’s unbridled quest for power.
“Without prejudice to the facts of the matter, the LP displayed and continues to display a high level of shameful ignorance by whipping up sentiments and reducing the judgment of the Appeal Court to only Section 77 of the Electoral Act.
“Even at that, it refused to realise or tactfully ignored the fact that a Court of Appeal had also ruled that Section 77 which deals with nomination of candidates is both a pre-election and post-elecion matter.
“It is abominable that the Labour Party would stay mute when judgements go in its favour but prefer to bully society with protests whenever a judgment goes against it”, the statement added.
PDP calls on Labour Party in the state to stop portraying itself as a reckless organization that does not respect the laws of the land.