THE recent Appeal Court judgment, which upheld the
appeal of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku of Taraba
State against the initial judgment by the
Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, did not
indicate that he has finally overcome the hurdles as
the rival All Progressives Congress (APC) is not
resting on its oars to pursue the matter to logical
conclusion.
Surprisingly the Appeal Court judgment did not lead
to upheaval in any part of the state unlike what
happened after the tribunal verdict when the people
took up arms against one another.
The Guardian learnt that the leadership of the APC is
leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the
Supreme Court reverses the PDP’s victory at the
appellate court.
Unlike the tribunal’s ruling that sparked off crisis in
the state, which led to loss of lives and properties,
there had been an atmosphere of peace and
tranquility in Taraba since the Appeal Court ruling,
although the security operatives have not stepped
down their operations.
While the PDP is still savoring its victory, the APC
according to some of its chieftains “would tread all
legitimate paths to ensure that the Supreme Court
reverses the decision taken by the Appeal Court on
31st of December.”
Several political observers in and outside the state
have however suggested that the APC should desist
from the litigation, as the party’s argument for
contesting the PDP’s victory was not valid.
According to them the APC cannot continue to harp
on the primaries of the PDP to argue its case, as it is
not within the jurisdiction of any court to decide on
the internal affairs of any political party except it is
brought before it.
The APC has insisted it would not in any form be
discourage by such argument as it continue to say
that Governor Ishaku was not the proper
governorship candidate in the election.
An inside source from the APC believes that the party
still have the chances of ousting the ruling PDP from
the governorship position through the Supreme
Court.
According to Alhaji Danuma Isa Munga, “Our party
had resolved to take the necessary steps by
approaching the highest court in the country.”
Munga who was the former state Chairman of the
defunct Action Congress of Nigeria {ACN} before he
defected to PDP and then returned to APC said, “If
other parties have decided to sleep on their rights,
we in the APC will not sleep on our rights because we
have enough confidence in the Supreme Court.”
He explained that the 1999 Constitution, as amended
was explicit on the electoral law “it is obvious that the
PDP has violated the law. The issue of party primary
is not PDP affairs. Any party that violates any part of
the electoral Act violates the Constitution and such
party must be made to face the music.”
Munga said he is very sure that the Supreme Court
ruling will favour his party and its governorship
candidate, Alhassan Jumai Aisha, who is the current
Minister of Women Affairs.
According to him, “Since the Electoral Act is there in
the Constitution, anybody that violate the Act, violates
the constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. We are dragging PDP to the Supreme Court
because the party refused to conduct primary before
the governorship election and had therefore violated
the constitution of the country.”
He was optimistic that the final judgment, which
would emanate from the Supreme Court, would be in
favour of the APC. “This will serve as a lesson for any
party not to handpick anybody as its candidate for
any elective position without allowing such to pass
through the due process as stipulated by the
Electoral Act. The lack of internal democracy in PDP
forced majority of us to dump the party.”
Also affirming the party’s readiness to go to the
Supreme Court, the APC chairman in the state, Alhaji
Hassan Jika Ardo, told The Guardian that the Appeal
Court judgment cannot see the light of the day as
“what the PDP did by not conducting primary is
unconstitutional.”
According to him “The Judgment of the Appeal Court
cannot count. The PDP in Taraba cannot occupy that
seat.”
He posited that the PDP’s action before the general
election “was a constitutional matter and not
discretional. It was against the constitution and the
tenets of democracy.”
Corroborating Munga’s point of view, he also
expressed optimism that the pendulum of the
Supreme Court judgment would swing to the APC’s
direction, as he held on to the fact that the issue of
Electoral Act was lucidly made reference to in the
constitution.
He admonished the supporters of the party to remain
calm even in the face of any form of provocation
“Our part would not relent on its oars pending when
the Supreme Court rule on the case,” he promised.
Unlike the APC, that has continue to cry foul over the
ruling, PDP on the other hand has continued to
commend the Appeal Court as the governor believed
that the decision of the appellate court was an
indication that the judiciary was “still the last hope of
the common man.”
Describing his victory as “God on the throne” the
governor expressed hope that even the Apex Court
would deliver its ruling in favour of him and the
party. “Victory would continue to be ours,” he
boasted.
Ishaku who reiterated his readiness to extend hands
of friendship to members of the APC and its
governorship candidate, noted that: “Despite all these
detractions, we have refused to be distracted and we
will never be distracted. Distraction will even spur us
to do more works for our people.”
The immediate past Minister of Labour, Senator Joel
Danlami Ikenya described the Appeal Court ruling as
“a judgment for the peace of Taraba State.”
He averred that the much-needed peace, which has
in the past eluded the state, has come to stay
following the Appeal Court ruling, stressing that the
people of the state were happy with the judgment.
He said the Appeal Court judgment was in consonant
with the law, and it was also in consonant with the
wishes of the people of the state and the country in
general.
The PDP chairman in the state, Victor Bala Kona, who
was visibly elated at the ruling said, “We are happy
that the Appeal Court has set aside the Kangaro
judgment of the election tribunal panel.”
He dismissed the argument of the rival APC, saying:
“Party primaries are mainly parties affair, which has
nothing to do the with the constitution as earlier held
by the APC.
“Party primary is an internal affairs of the party.
Section 82 of the Electoral Act mandated the
Independent National Electoral Commission {INEC}
to supervised party primaries. Why should APC that
did not even conduct primary in the state be the one
complaining when INEC that is saddled with the
responsibility did not complained?”
Despite the differences in ideologies, one thing as
observed by our correspondent that was however
common with the leadership of the two political
parties, was that the word peace did not ceased from
them as they have continued to spread the gospel of
peace among their followers.
-Guardian