TONY EZIMAKOR; SAMUEL OGIDAN

ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disclosed its readiness to use legal action against the Independent Na­tional Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, from contesting the 2023 pres­idential election.

Addressing newsmen on Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, tasked the commission to resist in­timidation from any quarters.

This is even as the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation tasked Tinubu to come out boldly and defend his alleged link to the whopping sum of $460,000 he allegedly forfeited to the United States rather than hiding behind a finger and sending his media aides to attack other Nigerians. ­

Ologunagba said: “We are very hopeful. What we decide to do as a party, we don’t consult you, we don’t tell you. When we started the case against Osun, we didn’t tell you, right?

“So, we will look at the issue and take decisions and actions based on the exigencies of the times, the requirement and the need to protect our constitution and our electoral process. So, you leave that us.”

Specifically on what the par­ty will do in regards to legal ac­tion, the party spokesman said, “Every option is on the table. And so, I will leave it like that.

“We will study it and any ap­propriate action that needs to be taken, it will be taken. Like I said to you, every option is on the table.”

Ologunagba further said: “It is no longer news that the pres­idential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is irredeemably and hopelessly in­eligible to contest the February 2023 presidential election having been reportedly indicted and subjected to criminal forfeiture judgment for a narcotic related offence by a United States Court in Northern Illinois.

“Nigerians are however ap­palled by the lame attempt by the APC presidential campaign which, after admitting that there was a $460,000 drug mon­ey criminal forfeiture judgment against accounts traced to the APC presidential candidate, is now desperately trying to pull a wool over the eyes of the Nigeri­ans people and our democratic institutions.

“Seeing that it is technically out of the presidential contest and further distraught because it cannot also field candidates at all levels in the 2023 general elec­tions due to its illegal and uncon­stitutional congresses, the APC has resorted to unleashing hood­lums to attack PDP presidential campaign rallies and other in­nocent Nigerians going about their legitimate endeavours as witnessed in Kaduna and Borno states, in a bid to trigger crisis and scuttle the elections.”

Disclosing that while the PDP is prepared for the 2023 gener­al elections, the APC is busy scheming to create tension, in­duce violence, frustrate the con­duct of the 2023 general elections and derail “our democratic pro­cess, having realised that it does not have an eligible presidential candidate for the polls.

“The plan of the APC is to in­still fear in the citizenry, disorga­nise and weaken other political parties, frighten, hamstring and immobilise INEC from conduct­ing the 2023 general elections.”

Quoting sections of the na­tion’s constitution that knocked out Tinubu from the race, Olo­gunagba said, “The APC must note that its schemes, denials, threats and resort to violence cannot help Asiwaju Tinubu. By the provision of section 137 (1) (d) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Asiwaju Tinubu is not eligible to contest the presi­dential election in Nigeria.

“Section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) provides that: (1) A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of president if:

“(d) He is under a sentence of death imposed by any compe­tent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of impris­onment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) or for any other offence, imposed on him by any court or tribunal or substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on him by such a court or tribunal.

“For clarity, forfeiture means “something to which the right is lost as for commission of a crime or misdeed, neglect of duty, or violation of a contract”.

“It is instructive to note that trafficking in narcotic is an in­ternational crime to which all nations are obliged and mandat­ed to apprehend, prosecute and enforce any judgment or court order imposed on offender. Nige­ria being a signatory to interna­tional convention on trafficking in narcotic is obliged to enforce any order or judgment imposed on any offender by a competent court anywhere in the world.”

He refuted the insinuation that a court in the United States is not of competent jurisdic­tion, adding that countries are encouraged to domesticate in­ternational conventions which Nigeria is signatory.

He said: Trafficking in nar­cotic is one of such. That’s why we have the NDLEA and other agencies of government to en­force that because they have been domesticated, they are in­ternational conventions.

“Those crimes are described as international crimes to which every member state of the Unit­ed Nations is a signatory and they are obligated to be like.

“And our constitution is also clear about that. It talks about court or tribunal in Nigeria and it says ‘by any court or any other court’ which by my interpreta­tion and by extension of this constitution, is any other court that is consistent with those international conventions and international crimes.”

He said that what Nigerians expect of Asiwaju Tinubu at this moment is to withdraw from the presidential race and apologise to the nation, adding that the APC must come to terms that it is not in the presidential race and that it has no legitimate candidate at all levels in the 2023 general elections as pronounced by the Federal High Court.

The PDP, therefore, remind­ed Nigerians that any vote for the APC at the presidential, gov­ernorship, National and state Assembly elections are wasted votes that will not count at the end of the day.

Meanwhile, the spokesper­son of Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation, Kola Ologbondi­yan said, “Our campaign insists that the burden before Asiwaju Tinubu is to cleanse himself of being linked to illicit funds by a court in the United States rath­er than searching for scapegoats and pointing index finger on others whereas the remaining are pointing to his direction.

“Is it not absurd that rather than proving his innocence by personally telling Nigerians the truth about the forfeiture judgment, Asiwaju Tinubu is allowing his aides, who were not principal witnesses in the crime, to issue threats and vitu­perations on Nigerians?”

Tinubu Will Contest, Win 2023 Presi­dential Poll, APC Tells PDP

Meanwhile, the All Progres­sives Congress (APC) Presiden­tial Campaign Council (PCC) has laughed off as day dream claim by the Peoples Democrat­ic Party (PDP) that its candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not eligible to contest the 2023 presidential election.

Hon. Debo Ologunagba at the weekend alleged that the APC candidate is not eligible to vie for Nigerian presidency, citing relevant constitutional provi­sions on account of his alleged indictment by a court in the United States of America over narcotic and money laundering charges for which he forfeited $460, 000 to the US government.

However, Bayo Onanuga in responding to the claim, noted that the opposition has now laid claim to the phantom document that has lost relevance and chal­lenged PDP to go to court instead of becoming a judge in the case.

Onanuga insisted that Tinu­bu will not only contest the 2023 election but will emerge victori­ous and retire the PDP flagbear­er, Atiku Abubakar, to his base in Dubai.

Onanuga said, “The frag­mented and emasculated PDP turned itself into an accuser, prosecutor and judge today, asking Asiwaju Tinubu to quit the presidential race. What a comedy!

“The PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, quoted an ill-di­gested section 137 of the 1999 constitution and decreed that Asiwaju should step down. He claimed that by the provision, Tinubu is not eligible to contest the presidential election in Ni­geria.

“His call followed the release of the 30-year-old US document its agents and media lapdogs have been spreading. Now at least we know that the party and their candidate, are behind the shameful campaign of calumny.

“Mr. Ologunagba, stop dreaming! Your party can go to court, if it likes. But what we know is that Asiwaju is unstop­pable, by the grace of God.

“He will contest the election, win it, retire Atiku to Dubai and finally stop him from perennial­ly chasing the elusive presiden­tial trophy.”