FOLLOWING the invasion of a Rivers state High Court premised in Port Harcourt last Friday by people suspected to be loyal to a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of leaders of the group.
The invaders were alleged to have attempted to shut down the court to prevent it from issuing an order against the conduct APC ward congress in the state.
The PDP said in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, that all those linked with the violent attack and invasion must be held accountable.
It observed that Nigerians were alarmed when armed thugs, “sponsored by some desperate leaders of the dysfunctional and violent-prone APC, attacked the court, shot their way through, assaulted judicial officers and disrupted proceedings in a bid to stop the court from giving a ruling against them.”
The main opposition party added: “It is instructive to note that the attack came on a day the court set aside to make pronouncement on a suit related to APC’s ward congresses for which some APC leaders in a faction allegedly aligned with the Presidency, including a serving minister, unleashed hoodlums on the court.
“We are particularly alarmed that since the attack, no arrest has been made, while the Federal Government has not taken any concrete steps to bring the perpetrators of this treasonable act to book.
“The failure of the APC-led Federal Government to act validates allegations that the attack was coordinated as part of the design to intimidate and emasculate the judiciary and ultimately erode its ability to boldly dispense justice on election matters, ahead of the 2019 general election, having realized the electoral failure that awaits the APC.
“We are also aware of secret interferences, threats, harassments and coercion of judicial officers, since the sting operation on judges, to do APC’s bidding in cases related to PDP members as well as the 2019 elections
“Furthermore, we note that this assault on the judiciary is coming on the heels of the invasion of the National Assembly by hoodlums sponsored by the agents of the APC, who brazenly stormed the Senate chambers, disrupted proceedings, threatened our lawmakers and carted away the mace, after which none of them has been brought to book.
“We therefore invite Nigerians to rise up and resist this drift towards fascism. Our citizens worked hard for the democracy we have in our country today and we cannot fold our hands and allow the APC destroy it with their lust for power.”
The PDP urged the judiciary to do all to protect itself against the onslaught of the APC, saying: “we want the APC to come to terms with the fact that no amount of intimidation, violent attacks, harassment and smear campaign can stop Nigerians in their determination to rally on the platform of the repositioned PDP to end this misrule and return our nation to that path of peace, national cohesion and economic prosperity, come 2019.”