Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over alleged plot by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to use foreign media to blackmail the judiciary, ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing of its presidential election appeal.
Raising the alarm at a press conference in Abuja Monday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, also alerted Nigerians to an alleged determine plan to continue to pursue an agenda against the interests of the country for the next four years, urging Nigerians to be vigilant.
According to Issa-Onilu, the opposition party and its presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections, Alhaji Atolu Abubakar, among other moves, had procured the services some international columnists to regularly push out alleged false articles, which would be published in reputable international media outlets, with the intent to blackmail justices of the Supreme Court over the PDP petition.
Issa-Onilu categorically marked out an American lawyer and former member of the President Ronald Reagan’s administration, as one of those that had been contracted by the PDP to execute the media attack on the justices of the Supreme Court.
“Ahead of the hearings of the Supreme Court on the 2019 presidential election petition, the All Progressives Congress (APC) alerts Nigerians on a new and sinister plot by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar to malign Supreme Court Justices using foreign media organisations.
“The fresh plot by the opposition PDP after being comprehensively rejected by Nigerians at the 2019 Presidential election is to cause confusion, anarchy with a view to making this country ungovernable.
“It is to be noted that PDP has made up its mind to pursue a destructive agenda against Nigeria for the next four years. This is no longer opposition politics. It is an unpatriotic agenda by people who do not mean well for their country. It is important we continue to alert Nigerian to the devious plan of the PDP.
“The judiciary is an important institution and its integrity cannot be subjected to political machinations. It is the responsibility of every truly patriotic Nigerian to rise against the PDP to ensure they do not succeed in undermining our corporate existence.
“The judgement of the 2019 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal dismissed in its entirety the petition filed by the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar. We are confident that the Supreme Court will further and finally affirm President Muhammadu Buhari’s election victory.
“We are also confident that the Judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court will not succumb to the opposition PDP’s subterfuge.
“We must continue to resist the unrelenting efforts being made by the PDP and their minions such as the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), few social media worms spreading and promoting face and destructive news in their attempt to truncate our movement towards greatness. As part of the PDP and Atiku’s post-election delusions and scheming, the so called Coalition of United Political Parties has the devious mandate to intimidate and blackmail important state institutions such as INEC, the judiciary, and security agencies, on behalf of PDP.
“APC’s victory at the presidential polls and the election tribunal represents our collective desire as a people to remain focused on the progressive growth and development of our country’s economy, fight against corruption, and providing security,” he said.
