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The Osun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised alarm over the disbandment of the State’s Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, describing the situation as an attempt to commit a second robbery against the people of Osun State.
The Party’s position is contained in a Press statement issued by the State Chairman, Hon Soji Adagunodo and made available to newsmen.
The party’s statement reads “We receive with shock and utter disappointment the news of the disbandment of the Election petition tribunal constituted to hear the petition arising from the conduct of the last governorship election in Osun state.
The disbandment of the tribunal barely 24 hours after the submission of the petition by the Governorship candidate of the PDP, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke poses serious threat to the free and fair administration of justice in the hearing of the petition.
The Peoples Democratic Party is concerned that the All Progressive Congress and indeed the Federal Government appears to be breathing down on the top echelon of the judiciary to constitute a new panel which will be pliable and thus compromise the integrity of the tribunal as a means to manipulating the outcome of the judicial process in favour of the APC.
We equally have it on good authority that the disbandment of the Osun State Governorship Election petition tribunal is one of the devices the APC plans to use to delay the commencement of hearing of our petition with a hope that the constitutionally prescribed trial period of hearing would not be met.
The PDP regards this as a continuation of the desperate antics of the APC to frustrate the genuine desire of the good people of Osun State to be governed by a lawfully elected Governor whose mandate was brazenly stolen on the 22nd of September, 2018.
We are by this notice calling the attention of the general public, the Nigerian Bar, Civil Society organisations, the International community especially the US, UK and EUROPEAN UNION to this development regarding the hearing of the Osun State Governorship Election petition which ought to commence now.
We do earnestly hope that Nigerians of good conscience will rise up in defence of the country’s democracy and speak out against this attempt to muzzle the judiciary which is supposed to be the last hope of the ordinary citizen.
Our party shudders at the thought of the dire consequences which an attempt to compromise the judiciary will have on the peace and security of Osun State in particular and Nigeria in general.
We are thus compelled to passionately appeal to the Chief Justice of the Federation as the head of the Nigerian judiciary to pay closer attention to the constitution and general conduct of the Governorship Election petition tribunal in Osun State and save our democracy from an avoidable mishap which may result from any form of manipulation of the judicial process to favour the