Election Petition: Obi-Datti Warns Against Any Action That May Hinder Justice Delivery

Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation has warned detractors to desist from actions capable of hindering the delivery of justice in the ongoing presidential election case.

In a statement signed by the Head of Media, Obi-Datti Media Office, Diran Onifade, it said it had observed in recent times, actions by those it described as “agents of retrogression” aimed at distracting the nation’s Judiciary from the critical national assignment before it, which is the presidential election petition trial.

The Obi-Datti Media office said the recent happenings around the judiciary including the allegations of a telephone conversation between the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukoyade Ariwoola, over issues about the election petition and the fake news about the resignation of a member of the Presidential election petition panel, Justice Boloukuoromo Moses Ugo, are “needless and unacceptable”.

READ ALSO: A’Court  Dismisses Report Of Justice Ugo’s Resignation From Presidential Tribunal

Onifade said these actions are orchestrated by people with “devious motives” that are not in the interest of the nation.

The statement said: “The Obi-Datti Media office has watched with profound concern the orchestration by agents of retrogression to distract and defocus the nation’s Judiciary from the critical national assignment before them.

“We find absolutely needless and utterly unacceptable some of the curious happenings around our Judiciary lately,  starting with the threat of anarchy and chaos should the ruling party’s candidate be legally removed by the Presidential  Election Petition Court (PECP); the allegations of a telephone conversation between the esteemed Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukoyade Ariwoola with some persons, which the Supreme Court has since denied,  and most recently, the bizarre fake news claiming that one of the panelists at the ongoing hearing before the PEPC had resigned.

“Without a doubt, those behind these strange contrivances have their devious motives, which certainly are not in the national interest.”

It further warned that members of the judiciary should be allowed to focus on the critical national assignment before them, adding that the future of the nation’s democracy depends on the outcome of the petitions pending before the tribunal.

He said that all hands must be on deck to help the judiciary salvage Nigeria’s democracy.

“Our Judiciary should not be burdened by these distractions when their entire focus should be on the critical national assignment, which requires their total concentration and everybody’s support and cooperation to conclude.

“It’s indisputable that the future of this country is tied to the outcome of the Judiciary’s assignment. Every hand must be on deck to help them pilot the ship of Nigeria State to safety away from perdition.

“Obi-Datti Media office, therefore, wishes to call on all patriots desirous of seeing a new Nigeria to desist from any action that may hinder the delivery of justice by their Lordships.”

The statement also condemned attempts to smear the reputations of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, and his vice, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, and warned those behind it to desist from such.

Onifade recalled that such fake demarketing campaigns against Obi and Datti in the past had failed.

He called on patriotic Nigerians to shun any action that may heat up the polity, and disrupt justice delivery.

“We are all the more concerned about plans to escalate these desperate acts ahead of the PEPC judgment. Nigerians must not be gullible to believe or accept such deep, fake, and dubious ploys, all in the name of partisan politics.

“While we continue to appreciate our security agencies’ efforts to secure Nigeria, we implore them to ensure that our Principals are safe and secure in their persons, movement and properties as they go about their public and private endeavours.

“Obi-Datti Media office, therefore, wishes to call on all patriots desirous of seeing a new Nigeria to desist from any action that may hinder the delivery of justice by their Lordships or other forms of nefarious activities that may heat up the national polity.