Judiciary, INEC real victims of LP, PDP blackmail – APC Chieftain alleges

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr John Mayaki has called on the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to brace up to absolve the alleged planned blackmail being orchestrated against them by the opposition People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party in their bid to prove their cases at the ongoing Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

Mayaki in a statement in Benin City said, “The real victims of blackmail in the ongoing presidential elections petition tribunal are the judiciary and the electoral umpire

“A situation where you wake up to read articles suggesting that the judiciary is taking sides and that INEC is sabotaging the efforts of petitioners is worrisome and points to an attempt to award justice to oneself – blackmail tactics aimed at seeking private justice to oneself”.

While calling on petitioners to prepare to defend their cases in court, Mayaki said, “These petitioners should never expect any support from INEC.

“They must be prepared to prove their cases in court just as it is also the duty of INEC to defend its actions.

” You can’t ask an institution as INEC to discredit itself in an election it conducted and supervised – it stands logic on its head.

“Yes, INEC is an independent umpire but one that must maintain its integrity and sanctity especially when its actions are being disputed in the court of law.

“I wonder why the candidates of the Labour Party and their online commentators expect INEC to succumb to their online threats and blackmail.

“To add salt to a festering sour, this morning, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria standing in for the Labour Party in the ongoing presidential election petition tribunal tweeted saying, the ‘practice of law is frustrating in Nigeria’ and went on to accuse the judiciary of ‘condoning INEC’s frustrating antics in court’.

“I had thought this Senior Advocate of Nigeria should know better – whereas, he has practised law in this country, became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and won several cases without complaining but suddenly discovered the impracticability of law in the same country because of his inability to please his client who wanted self-justice by making INEC and the Judiciary victims of their blackmail”.

Mayaki who was the Chairman of the Edo State Media and Publicity Committee, APC Presidential Campaign Council said the accusations against INEC and the judiciary were borne out of sentiments, poor sense of history and disdain for state institutions when our selfish interests are not in sight.

“I urge the judiciary and INEC among other institutions of state not to be deterred or cowed in their efforts to ensure the sanctity of the rule of law is fully entrenched no matter the amount of puerile allegations, blackmail and shenanigans”.