Supreme Court: PDP, Wike Warn Oshiomhole On Bayelsa Judgement

Supreme Court: PDP, Wike Warn Oshiomhole On Bayelsa Judgement

…Oshiomhole’s Utterances Can Destabilise Nigeria, Says Wike

POLITICS DIGEST – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the All Progressives Congress National chairman, Adams Oshiomhole’s to stay away from Bayelsa state.

The party was reacting to the recent comments of Oshiomhole on the Supreme Court’s judgement in the state.

A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Mary Odili on Thursday nullified the election of David Lyon on the grounds that his deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, presented false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in aid of his qualification for the November 16 governorship election.

With the judgment, the candidate of the PDP in the election, Diri Duoye, is expected to be sworn in this Friday, having received the second largest votes in the election.

Oshiomhole in his reaction to the court judgment said nobody should be sworn in as the new governor of Bayelsa State on Friday.

Oshiomhole, at a press briefing at the party’s secretariat in Abuja shortly after the court verdict, said only the APC candidate met the “desired spread as expressed by the Supreme Court.

“The next candidate who happens to be the PDP candidate does not have one-quarter of the votes cast in that election…,” he added.

Mr Diri of the PDP polled 143,172 votes, while Mr Lyon who won the November 16 election got 352,552 votes.

Mr Lyon won in six out of the eight local government areas in the state, while Mr Diri won in only two.

For a candidate to be declared the winner in a governorship election, he is constitutionally required to score the highest number of lawful votes, in addition to securing 25 per cent of votes in two-thirds of the local government areas in a state.

Mr Diri of the PDP had the second-highest number of lawful votes and also secured 25 per cent of votes in five of Bayelsa’s eight local governments.

The PDP in its reaction said Mr Oshiomhole’s comment was “an empty and inconsequential ranting.”

The party in a statement from its national spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, warned the APC national chairman to steer clear of Bayelsa “as his apparent plots to trigger violence in the state has failed.

“The people of Bayelsa State know as a fact that the 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 statement said.

The PDP advised Mr Oshiomhole to be careful with his utterances “and not use any forms of venomous garrulity and clear misuse of language to destabilise our nation and truncate our hard-earned democracy.

“The PDP 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.”

Similarly, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has called on the Federal Government to warn Oshiomhole to stop making inflammatory remarks capable of destabilising the country.

The governor made the call in a Thursday statement signed by his Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, in reaction to the Supreme Court ruling sacking on the Bayelsa gubernatorial election.

Wike slammed the APC National Chairman for saying that there would be no swearing-in of the PDP Candidate in Bayelsa State, saying he has no such powers.

He said: “The Federal Government should warn Oshiomhole to stop making remarks that will destabilise Nigeria.

“What he is doing in Edo State is not proper and he should not bring it to the rest of the Niger Delta.”

He said that Oshiomhole lacks the power to make pronouncements after the Supreme Court has ruled on the Bayelsa matter.

“Who is Oshiomhole to determine who has spread in a state? Supreme Court has made a ruling. It is unfortunate for Oshiomhole to come forward to say that nobody will be sworn in,” he said.

He noted that Oshiomhole is making unguarded statements because he has lost the support of APC Governors, hence he wants to curry favour through careless talks.

“It is most unfortunate what Oshiomhole is doing because he wants to retain his position as National Chairman. APC Governors have rejected him, that is why he is struggling to prove that he is fighting for the Party.

“He is making statements as if he owns the country. This is the same way he is carrying on in Edo State fighting the Governor.

“He believes that he has the forces to cause crisis. He is arrogating powers to himself, which is not good,” he said.

Wike described Oshiomhole as a man who preaches one thing, then goes ahead to practise a different thing. He said the situation in Edo State has exposed Adams Oshiomhole as a godfather who once preached against godfathers.

He said Oshiomhole would not be allowed to destroy the Niger Delta, adding that the rule of law must continue to prevail at all times.