Supreme Court’s intervention ‘ll resolve crisis — PDP

THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State has said that the intervention of the Supreme Court in the party's governorship ticket dispute would hasten the process of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede reclaiming the ticket from Mr.Jimoh Ibrahim. Publicity Secretary of the party, Banji Okunomo, said the intervention of the apex court would hasten the administration of justice. "The PDP believes strongly in the ability of the judiciary to give the matter involving Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, PDP, INEC, Biyi Poroye and eight others, appropriate legal interpretation and adjudication. The PDP is already aware of the totality of tactics deployed by self-imposed candidate – Mr Jimoh Ibrahim to stall justice and frustrate the efforts of the Court of Appeal to hear and decide the appeals before it,'' he said. Okunomo continued: "It has become glaring that the intention of Jimoh is to frustrate Jegede in order to provide a soft landing for the All Progressives Congress, APC in the election knowing full well that Ibrahim lacks capacity to win a ward let alone winning the entire state in a governorship election in Ondo State. "No matter what happens, the judiciary remains the final arbiter in Nigeria and beyond and in this circumstance, we have chosen to toe this civilized path to enable justice prevail. It is our belief that the premature involvement of the Supreme Court in the matter at the eleventh hour when judgement was about to be read by the Appeal panel, though strange and unprecedented in history, would surely hasten the entire process of justice delivery. "We are taken aback that Jimoh Ibrahim and his cohorts went as far as suing their Lordships of the Court of Appeal alongside the appellants at the supreme court, a development that is strange and has no place in our history as a people. "If Jimoh Ibrahim says Appeal Court judges do not have a jurisdiction to hear and decide appeals, then we want to ask who has such rights? If Jimoh Ibrahim thinks he has a case, why is he pre-empting the judgement to be given at the Appeal Court? Why is he afraid to allow the law take its due course… The norm is that appellants, who are not satisfied with the outcome at the Court of Appeal could take their matters to the apex court. However, in a situation whereby the status quo is suspended, it can only be a further attestation to previous allegations that Jimoh is only being a spoiler.'' Jegede calls for calm Meanwhile, Jegede has called for calm following the decision of the Appeal Court to adjourn indefinitely its judgement, a move he described as a temporary setback. The three man appellate justices headed by Justice Ibrahim Salauwa, last week, adjourned indefinitely following a motion filed against them at the Supreme court by applicants in the suit. Jegede, in a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of his Campaign Organization, Kayode Fasua in Akure, weekend, said he was not unmindful of the fact that the temporary setback is the handiwork of some anti-democratic elements hell bent on truncating his mandate for the November 26 ,2016 poll. He however said as a true believer in the rule of law and judiciary, he will be at the Supreme Court tomorrow to thrash out issues raised by the appellants. "I call on our supporters to remain calm, and not be weighed down by the latest developments which I believe should only strengthen our resolve in ensuring that despite all contrivances and manipulations, we will contest and win the November 26, 2016 governorship election," he said adding that his team of lawyers are working assiduously to ensure that the injustice to subvert his mandate, through several devious means of propaganda, blackmail and unprecedented assault against the judiciary is corrected using available legal means.