PDP Staff Stage Peaceful Protest in Abuja

 

Staff of the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday urged the President of Court of Appeal who is also a member of Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa to excuse herself from the Tribunal.

PDP staff who protested at the party’s National Secretary, Wadata House, Abuja on Monday armed with various placards with inscriptions like “Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa: You cannot preside over your own case, your husband is a Senator elect under APC”, “Justice is not for the most powerful, it must be seen to be right and done” and “On moral grounds, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa excuse yourself from Presidential Tribunal” passed a vote of no confidence on the tribunal as long as Justice Bulkachuwa remained a member.

Addressing the Press, Chairman of PDP Staff Welfare Association, Mr. Clement Nwankwo declared that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP, Presidential Candidate won the February 23 Presidential election but was robbed of victory by the ruling party who was working closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He pointed out that all Alhaji Abubakar would not be able to reclaim his mandate as long as Justice Bulkachuwa remained a member of the Presidential Election Tribunal.

The PDP threatened that they would not allow some individuals in the country to hijack the collective will of majority of Nigerians, adding that Nigerians were tired of the misrule of the , All Progressives Congress,APC and its Presidential Candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari.

While pointing out some ills that have bedeviled the country recently under the leadership of Buhari, he said, “We are tired with the state of insecurity in the country; we are tired with the poor state of our economy; we are tired with this nepotic government; we are tired with the situation where majority of our citizens are living in lDP camps as if we are in a state of war. Nigerians are tired

“We are also aware that the President of the Court of Appeal and Chairperson of the 2019 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Zainab Ahmed Bulkachuwa is the wife of Ahmed Mohammad Bulkachuwa, the Senator elect on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), representing Bauchi North Senatorial District. This is completely unacceptable.

“We therefore fully support the call by the National Working Committee (NWC) of our Party to demand that she recuse herself immediately from the panel.”

They called on the judiciary to continue to remain on the side of the people, relying on the saying that “the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man.”

The protesters challenged the Nigerian Judiciary to stand up to its statutory responsibility as the final arbiter in disputes, stressing that Judiciary must do what is just in the eyes of the law and in line with the mood of Nigerians.