The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has told the state Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) that any attempt to proceed with its planned local government elections would amount to an open disrespect for the court of competent jurisdiction which had ordered that the status quo ante be maintained, and would therefore be a wasteful exercise.
RSIEC had scheduled local government council elections for May 23 but the PDP had criticised the move and said it would not participate in the polls.
In a statement on Sunday in Port Harcourt, the Chairman of the party in the state, Felix Obuah, said anything done to conduct the election against the decision of the court that all parties should maintain status quo ante would amount to a nullity.
The PDP stated that the chairman and members of RSIEC were card carrying members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and did not have the moral standing to conduct the election.
It said the composition of RSIEC negated the principle of natural justice, urging the RSIEC to abide by the rule of ‘nemo iudex in causa sua’ which literally means that no person can judge a case in which he has vested interest.
The party queried the rationale in conducting an election that brazenly breached the provisions of the law.
The PDP said the plan to hurriedly hold the election without recourse to the law was a deliberate ploy by the APC led-government and RSIEC to loot the state’s treasury.
“This deliberate disregard for the rule of law has vindicated the PDP’s position that Amaechi and the APC are desperados bent on causing crisis in the state,” the statement said.
It urged members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the people of Rivers State to remain calm, noting that “the illegal local government election would not stand.”
