PDP: We’ll ‘never’ surrender our Rivers mandate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it will “never surrender the mandate” freely given to it by the people in states where it won in the last general election.

Olisa Metuh, spokesman of PDP, was speaking via a statement he issued on Sunday, a day after the Rivers state election petition tribunal stripped Nyesom Wike, the PDP candidate, of his victory at the state governorship election in April.

Accusing the federal government and leadership of the ruling party of using the judiciary and security agencies to destroy the nation’s democracy, the opposition party said the battle line has been drawn.

It also accused the election tribunals of Akwa Ibom and Rivers of bias, alleging that recent judgments have shown that elections were credible only in states where the APC won.

“Nigerians have noted APC’s definition of credible elections wherein governorship elections in Imo, Ogun, Plateau, Lagos and Yobe are all credible while those of Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Taraba and Abia are rigged and must by all means be annulled,” Metuh said.

“Though we seek peace, we are not ready to accept the peace of a graveyard. Let it be known, and clearly too, that no matter the strong-arming, threats and manipulations by the APC government, the PDP is not willing to, and will never surrender the mandate freely given to us by the people in states where we won in the last general elections, neither are the people of those states willing to allow sectional invaders to exert influence on those to be in charge of their affairs.

“In the last five months, after conceding the presidential election and other polls where we lost, Nigerians are witnesses to the fact that the PDP has remained calm and steadfast to its commitment to providing mature, decent and civil opposition with more interest on the peace, unity and corporate interest of our dear nation.

“However, the ruling party and the APC federal government in their dictatorial inclinations are much more interested in playing crude, selfish and sectional politics and trying to use manipulation of judicial processes to forcefully take over states where we genuinely won in the elections.

“In the light of the foregoing therefore, leaders of the PDP across the country are now converging on a consensus not to surrender our national destiny and fate to the whims and caprices of the sectional interests of the Daura and Bourdillon Mafia.

“We want all to know that this party is able, willing and now ready to call up our members and supporters to use all means within the limits provided by the laws of the land to resist this evil plan to decimate the PDP and opposition.

“We hereby raise a rallying cry to all our members and supporters of PDP nationwide, all patriotic citizens and all lovers of democracy to join the PDP in this fight to save our nation from the hands of the lying, deceitful and false prophets, who are bent on parading themselves as cruel conquerors of our democracy.

“Furthermore, we request the international community to note that never in the history of our democracy has the nation witnessed such a divisive and anti-people government, whose actions have so polarised the polity, and undermined national unity and cohesion, a development that spells doom for our democracy, if not checked.

“We are therefore duty bound to counsel President Muhammadu Buhari to be cautious of tendencies that provide avenues for the destruction of the nation’s democracy, which he is a huge beneficiary of.

“In the same vein, we call on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed to note the looming danger and save the nation’s democracy and the institution of the judiciary by immediately checking negative actions emanating from elements operating within the office of the president of the court of appeal.

“Finally, it has become necessary to remind all that this democracy was built on the principle of the rule of law and no political party, individual or group must be allowed to, by any means, appropriate or attempt to appropriate the will of the people at any time and under any guise whatsoever.”