PDP Accuses FG of Plot to Influence Election Tribunals

Chief Olisah Metuh

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged a plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to use the Director General of Department of State Services (DSS), Lawan Daura, and the agency’s personnel to interfere in some election petitions pending before the tribunals.

The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, told journalists on Wednesday that the party had received information that Daura had invited some people handling election cases in Rivers and other states to discuss matters before the tribunal.

“PDP want to alert the nation and international community that this is gross interference in democratic affairs, which can lead to draconian regime where security forces and apparatus of government will be used to decide and influence election matters,” Metuh observed.

Metuh who spoke in Abuja at the end of the weekly National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, expressed concern over the dissolution of local government councils in Plateau and Katsina States where the APC is in control, without valid court judgment.

He cited the case in Rivers State where the court has dissolved local government councils illegally put in place by the past administration in the state, adding that the police have interfered and stopped the caretaker committees appointed by the state government from gaining entry into the council secretariat.

The PDP spokesperson also explained that the party had received agitations concerning the reconstitution of the Board of Trustees (BoT).

He assured supporters that the NWC would work with party stakeholders to fill vacancies created in the BoT as a result of death, defection to other political parties and passivity of some members.

Meanwhile, Metuh has said the party’s ward and local congresses in Anambra State will hold from Tuesday next week.

Regarding the disciplinary case against his deputy, Abdullahi Jalo, for “unguarded utterances” in some of Nigerian newspapers, Metuh said the matter was being handled internally.

(c) This Day