The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has said the premature intervention of the Supreme Court in the dispute under appeal would hasten the process of reclaiming the mandate of its candidate in the November 26, 2016 gubernatorial poll, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN.
Speaking with correspondents in Abuja, the Publicity Secretary of PDP in Ondo State, Mr. Banji Okunomo said now that the Supreme Court has intervened in the dispute over who is the true candidate of the party, the administration of Justice would surely be hastened. The PDP believes strongly in the ability of the judiciary to give the matter involving Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) , PDP , INEC, Biyi Poroye and 8 others appropriate legal interpretation and adjudication.
He posited that the PDP is already aware of the totality of tactics deployed by self imposed candidate - Mr Jimoh Ibrahim to stall justice and frustrate the efforts of the Court of Appeal to hear and decide the appeals before it.
He noted that it has become glaring that the intention of Jimoh is to frustrate Jegede in order to provide a soft landing for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election knowing full well that he, Ibrahim, lacks capacity to win a ward let alone winning the entire State in a gubernatorial election in Ondo State.
While alleging undue influence of some notable government officials in the All Progressives Congress government at the national level in the State's governorship election, he stated that such interference is unwarranted and provocative.
He stressed that the influence of the APC has done nothing but is capable of disrupting the peace and tranquillity that had existed in Ondo State for the past years.
His words: "No matter what happens, the judiciary remains the final arbiter in Nigeria and beyond and in this circumstance, we have chosen to toe this civilized path to enable justice prevail.
"It is our belief that the premature involvement of the Supreme Court in the matter at the eleventh hour when judgement was about to be read by the Appeal panel, though strange and unprecedented in history, would surely hasten the entire process of justice delivery.
"We are taken aback that Jimoh Ibrahim and his cohorts went as far as suing their Lordships of the Court of Appeal alongside the appellants at the supreme court , a development that is strange and has no place in our history as a people.
Whereas the first panel was baselessly blackmailed to submission, the second panel's jurisdiction is being challenged after all briefs had been adopted and judgement to be delivered thereafter.
'' Ibrahim could not have done anything less knowing full well that every attempt, hook and crook, he deployed to scuttle the entire process would fail any time any day in any court of law.
"If Jimoh Ibrahim says Appeal Court Judges do not have a jurisdiction to hear and decide appeals, then we want to ask who has such rights?
"If Jimoh Ibrahim thinks he has a case, why is he pre-empting the judgement to be given at the Appeal Court? Why is he afraid to allow the law take its due course.
''Why the apprehension to be heard by a panel of 3 senior jurists without such apprehension when appeared before a lower court of Junior member of the bench in the court of first instance? Okunomo queried''
"The norm is that it is appellants who are not satisfied with the outcome at the Court of Appeal who could take their matters to the Apex Court.
"However, in a situation whereby the status quo is suspended, it can only be a further attestation to previous allegations that Jimoh is only being a spoiler who has promised to frustrate Jegede's candidacy so as to provide soft landing for the APC governorship candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu,SAN,who he has publicly praised to high heavens unlike others in the race that have been callously derided by Jimoh ", he said.
'It is necessary to sound this note of warning that, it is easier for minority to be rigged out before , during and after election and the doers do away with it than for majority to be subjected to same treatment without resistance._Okunomo Stressed.
