Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has chided Imo state Governor Rochas Okorocha, for his attempt at hoodwinking the Supreme Court ahead of the hearing of the election petition against him on October 31, by alleging that President Goodluck Jonathan was influencing the Upper Court to rule against him.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party said such is part of the embattled governor’s strategy to whip up sentiments to sway the Judiciary by portraying himself as being under attack by the Presidency.
It said: “Governor Okorocha “has always been jittery” that justice will prevail against him at the Supreme Court for stealing the peoples’ mandate in 2011; hence his recent deployment of blackmail and attacks on the Judiciary and the Presidency ahead of the apex court’s ruling on the case.
“The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and indeed all Nigerians have noted the on-going antics of Governor Rochas Okorocha and the All Progressives Congress (APC) wherein they have been issuing threats, sponsoring fabricated stories in the media and organizing phantom protests against the office and person of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Supreme Court.
“This governor has been living in morbid fear of having justice prevailing against him at the Supreme Court for stealing the mandate of the people in 2011. As such, he now seeks to use the instrumentality of blackmail and political subterfuge to divert the attention of the Supreme Court from the substance of the case against him ahead of the apex court’s ruling on October 31, 2013.
“By sponsoring fabricated reports in the media alleging that the Presidency was influencing the Supreme Court to remove him from office, Governor Okorocha is merely trying to whip up sentiments to ultimately sway the Supreme Court by portray himself as a victim of attack by the Presidency.
“It is to say the least, despicable that a state governor who swore to defend the constitution, will in a desperate bid to retain a stolen mandate, condescend so low to attempt to hoodwink and undermine the sacred institution of the Judiciary, even the Supreme Court.
“Whilst the PDP remains steadfast in its belief in the impartiality of the Judiciary, we call on this institution to note the activities of such undemocratic elements who seek to use every means to undermine and derail it.
“Moreover, the APC is aware that it will lose the 2015 general elections and even the governorship of states presently under its control. As such, it is now using the Imo state governor’s attempt to blackmail the Judiciary a test for a bigger plot to weaken this institution ahead of 2015 to enable the opposition get away in states they plan to rig.
In addition, we call on Nigerians to note the organization of phantom protests against President Goodluck Jonathan by Governor Okorocha and the APC. This is also part of the orchestrated plot by the opposition to undermine the Federal Government and ultimately destroy the unity of the country by engineering pockets of revolts across the country against the PDP-led government.
“Having discovered that Nigerians have rejected them ahead of 2015 general elections due to their penchant for propaganda, deceit and promotion of violence and disunity among the people, the APC leaders have perfected this plot and are now using Imo state and the governor to experiment its workability.
“We in the PDP at all levels will continue to conduct ourselves with maximum decorum. We believe that the Supreme Court is made up of sagacious and impeccable judicial officers who cannot be swayed by the antics of Governor Rochas Okorocha and the APC,” the statement said.