Warning To The Presidency: Don’t Interfere With PEPT—CD
From Alphonso Nwaeze
There is a warning to the Presidency from the Campaign for Democracy (CD), and it is not to interfere with the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).
The CD warning is coming amidst speculations that the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government was intent on interfering with the workings of the tribunal.
Issuing a statement to the effect, the CD chairman South East Zone and Executive Director of Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE), Dede Uzor A Uzor warned the presidency, APC, their agents or cohorts against compromising or inducing members of the panel with money or juicy appointments.
They also cautioned that on no account should they deploy security operatives to infiltrate, intimidate or blackmail the Judges to give them favorable judgment by turning justice upside down.
The groups said Nigeria is at a crossroads now, warning that the country is sitting on a keg of gun powder, hence any slightest provocation can ignite unprecedented protests in the country that would be difficult to contain.
Against the backdrop, said the group, the Tribunal members should resist any attempt to cajole them to give judgment that would negate the constitution of the country and extant laws of the land.
In the warning to the Presidency, the rights groups also noted that the future of this country is in the hands of the judiciary now, especially the five-member Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, hence they should be like Caesar’s wife and be above board and become incorruptible Judges.
