[PDP Governors Forum Chairman, Gov Olusegun Mimiko]
*Says PDP can’t discuss tribunal relocation with Buhari*
The Conference of APC Publicity Secretaries (CAPS), the image-making body of the All Progressives Congress
[APC] has condemned moves by the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] governors forum to meet President Muhammad Buhari over Election Tribunals issues.
In a statement issued by the the chairman of APC Publicity Secretaries, Joe Igbokwe in conjunction with other five Publicity Secretaries, CAPS argued that it is not President Muhammadu’s Buhari’s business to dabble into the duties of judiciary, the arm of government entrusted with law enactment.
CAPS, therefore, advised the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Gov Olusegun Mimiko to desist from dragging President Buhari into the quagmire of election tribunal saga and let the judiciary do their job.
The six CAPS members who signed the statement are Engr Yahaya Bashir – North East, Mr Jonathan Vatsa – North Central, Mr. Sola Lawal – South West, Hon Fortune Panebi- South South, Arc. Okelo Madukaife -South East /Secretary and Engr. Joe Igbokwe – Chairman.
The resolution of CAPS, as made available to Elombah.com is captured as follows:
“The proposal by governors elected on the platform of PDP to meet President Muhammad Buhari over issues regarding the movement of Election Tribunals from various states where security issues have been raised is not necessary and should not be furthered beyond that faulty thought line.
“In the first place, the decision regarding the set-up, deployment, movement of Tribunals belongs to the Judiciary and not the executive.
“President Buhari, elected on the platform of our great party – All Progressives Congress, does not dabble into the duties of any of the two other arms of government, judiciary and legislature, even when the attraction is there to secure some political advantage.
“Secondly, the Tribunals themselves have entertained motions from various teams of lawyers for various candidates in the cases currently under adjudication at the Tribunals. Therefore is would seem like an invitation to the president to interfere with the proceedings of the Tribunals or the running of the Judiciary none of which we would encourage the president to dabble into.
“We are fully aware that the PDP governors are accustomed to doing things in the way they did them in the past 16 years from which the nation emerged heavily battered. Those were years of undue interference with the duties of the judiciary which the nation under this era is proud to have left behind.
“We acknowledge that PDP governors can seek audience with President Buhari for other things apart from this temptation which they have nurtured in their meeting, looking for a victim.
“We therefore advise the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Gov Olusegun Mimiko to please drop the foregoing idea and toe the line of change that Nigerians are fast accepting.”
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