Natives of Abuja have raised the alarm that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is trying to undermine the improvement of the electoral process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by inducing the judicial system to deny the people their mandates during elections.
Danjuma Tanko Dara, a senior citizen, and stakeholder of FCT who in a press briefing on Thursday faulted the recent judgments given by the FCT Election Tribunal against Bwari and Kuje area councils on Tuesday said that if this judgment is allowed to stand, it would weaken the faith of Nigerians on the country’s electoral and judicial systems in subsequent elections.
Dara further said that the Election Petition Tribunal judgment invalidating the election of the chairman of Bwari area council, John Gabaya of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and declaring Shekwolo Haruna Audi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the substantive winner of the February 12, 2022 council election was a slap on the faces of residents who made their choice during the election by voting for the PDP candidate.
“If we say that the judgment by the three members panel led by the Chief Magistrate, Muinat Olashade Oyekan, which said Gabaya did not win the majority of lawful votes cast during the chairmanship election in the area was completely against the will of the people, we will not be wrong.
“It was completely wrong today that months after INEC declared the FCT Chairmanship elections results, a Judge is giving a judgment that the APC candidate scored the highest number of votes more than the PDP candidate because the results of some identified polling units at some political wards were not recorded for the APC candidate during the last council polls. It is absurd.
“Our questions are, where were INEC officials that were designated to those so-called areas where results were not recorded during the elections? Why are they just raising that observation now? Why did the independent observers not make that observation after the election? There are many questions that the judges and INEC need to answer.
“Why is it that this kind of judgment is affecting only the area councils that the PDP won elections, while the APC councils are not affected? It is a clear indication that something is completely wrong somewhere and it should be corrected. All these kangaroo judgments should not be allowed to stand,” he said.
Dara further expressed disappointment that despite all the anomalies in the three judgments from the FCT Election Tribunal, the FCT Minister and National Judicial Council (NJC) are silent, saying that the country is gradually drifting into a one-party nation if the right things are not done immediately.
“Following the improvement of the electoral process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), we have observed that the ruling party is trying to induce some judges to deny the people that mandates. What happened at the Tribunal against the AMAC chairman, was what played out on Tuesday against the Bwari chairman and even in Kuje where a rerun was ordered to take place.
“We have discovered that this is a new scheme by the ruling party to deny the people of their electoral rights. So, from what we have observed in the three judgments from the Tribunal, Nigerians should be alert to this scheme and be ready to resist it and ensure that we get it right no matter what in our electoral process.
“Let me make abundantly clear that the election conducted here in the FCT is not a reflection of the people of Abuja but Nigerians, which simply entails and reveals the failure of the ruling party to have administered a safe landing for Nigerians. And any act of judicial compromise simply signals an invitation to uncertainty, because the people here are highly knowledgeable enough to understand the wishes of the people.
“We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, as a leader of the APC and all Nigerians to caution the APC against the negative steps to robe Nigerians of their mandates. Because if it continues, the people would be pushed to the wall and it may result in anarchy.
“We do not want that to happen, that is why we are also appealing to NJC to withdraw all three judgments because we sensed inducements of judges in all of them. The judges should be made to face grave disciplinary action, hence it’s not one attempt. They are enemies of justice and democracy. So, NJC should act fast,” he said.
