PDP asks FG to address ‘plot’ to delay s’court judgement in suit against Shettima

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the federal
government to speak out on reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is
plotting to ensure May 26 is declared a public holiday.

The supreme court had earlier fixed May 26 to deliver
judgment in a suit seeking to disqualify Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as
presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the APC.

The judgement will be delivered three days before the
swearing-in of the president and vice-president-elect.

In July 2022, the PDP filed a case against Shettima’s
nominations as the vice-presidential and Borno central senatorial candidate.

The PDP alleged that Shettima’s double nominations
contravenes the provisions of sections 29(1), 33, 35, and 84(1)(2) of the
electoral act, 2022.

In a statement on Wednesday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP’s national
publicity secretary, said the APC should respect the judiciary and the supreme
court in delivering justice.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) calls on the federal
government and President Muhammadu Buhari to speak out on the alarming reports
in the public space of moves to declare Friday, May 26, 2023 a public holiday
as a ploy to stop the supreme court from sitting to deliver judgment on the
disqualification case against the APC vice presidential candidate, Sen Kashim
Shettima, over double nomination, already scheduled for that date,” the
statement reads.

 “The PDP also calls
on the federal government to come clean on a further allegation, which is also
in the public domain that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is mounting
pressure on the Department of State Services (DSS) to advise President Buhari
to declare the public holiday.

“The ominous silence by the federal government in the face
of such grave allegations is heightening tension across the country and has the
capacity to trigger widespread crisis if not immediately addressed.

“Such reported sinister plot by the APC against the supreme
court is consistent with the insensitivity, manipulation, abuse of power and
process promoted by the APC as an act of governance in the last eight years.

“The PDP, therefore, calls on President Buhari to
immediately douse the palpable tension in the country by making a categorical
statement with regard to the reported plots by the APC to stop the sitting of
the supreme court through the declaration of a public holiday.

 “Nigerians across the
board are eager for the delivery of the judgement on the set date, Friday, May
26, 2023, in the disqualification case against Sen Kashim Shettima, for double
nomination as APC senatorial and vice-presidential candidate in the 2023
general elections in violation of the provision of Section 35 of the electoral
act, 2022.

“Nigeria is already strained and any attempt to impose a
public holiday on Friday, May 26, 2023, as a ploy to stop the supreme court
from delivering its reserved judgment is capable of increasing the tension with
possible dire consequences to the polity.”