By Wilfred Oghenesivbe
You may have read a laughable story making the rounds on social media, alleging that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, gave unholy directives to Justices of the Appellate Courts to do whatever it takes to murder justice and give victory to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, and two other states.
Let me state clearly from the outset that the story portrayed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a leader who does not care for the survival of constitutional democracy and the rule of law. It also projected Mr President as a despotic leader who will do anything and everything to reduce Nigeria to a one-party state, and to a large extent, make himself life President of Nigeria.
It is crystal clear that the APC propagandists who allegedly sponsored the trending story to mislead the public and perhaps lay the sandy foundation to pervert the cause of Justice; did not avert their minds to the negative implications associated with this unscrupulous political suicide for their party, and the image of President Tinubu that is at stake.
The bitter truth is that Governor Oborevwori will govern Delta State for eight years, and no amount of manipulation and overblown cloudy wishes can squash this fact. It’s a victory all the way for Delta Delta PDP at the Appellate Courts.
Tinubu is not and should not be portrayed as a fraudulent President who is all out to corrupt Justices of the Supreme Court favour of Delta APC. Those behind the blackmailing of Mr President should be arrested and prosecuted for malicious publication and defamation of character.
I do not know the post-election issues in the other two states referred to in the story under reference, but I do know that in Delta State, the APC failed woefully, winning four local government areas out of twenty-five LGAs as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
As the governorship Tribunal rightly puts it, Delta APC and her candidate failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt and have performed abysmally at the polls. This is it!
The evidence and witnesses called by the APC at the Tribunal fell short of legal requirements under the subsisting legislations, principles of Law of Evidence, and as required by the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Appellate Courts will neither call new witnesses nor admit fresh evidence. The Courts above will only scrutinize and adjudicate on the verdicts of the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
It follows that no Justice of the Supreme Court would declare APC Delta winner of the 2023 governorship election based on winning four LGAs, as against the PDP which gallantly and convincingly won twenty-one local government areas at the polls.
Even if the APC propagandists believe that President Tinubu can do all things, I make bold to say that the case in the Delta governorship election won by PDP cannot, and will not form part of Tinubu’s political craftsmanship and mega power, because undisputed evidence stares us in the face that PDP cleaned up the polls, defeated Delta APC stupendously.
Finally, it’s not possible, and not true under any circumstances for President Tinubu to give such satanic directives to another independent arm of government under the constitution (the Judiciary). My Lords, the Justices of the Supreme Court are not Mr President’s errand boys, they are eminent jurists who know their onions. APC propagandists goofed big time and they must continue to mourn their defeat in the Delta 2023 governorship election.
Governor Sheriff F.O. Oborevwori shall win all post-election matters at the Appellate Courts, and that includes the Supreme Court foreseeable landmark verdict affirming the judgments of the Courts below.
PDP is the party, and Rt Hon Sheriff F.O. Oborevwori shall be in the saddle for eight years, by the grace of God, and I shall be vindicated.
