No Shortcut – Labour Party Knocks Tinubu Over ‘Anarchy Threats’

The Labour Party (LP) has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop threatening the judiciary, insisting that his removal from office by the court will not cause anarchy in the country.

The Publisher Nigeria recalls that Tinubu had warned about the potential consequences of nullifying the election that produced him as the president.

He cautioned that such a decision, based on his failure to secure 25% of the lawful votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), could result in absurdity, chaos, anarchy, and the distortion of the legislature’s original intent.

The president stated this while presenting his final written address to the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPEC) on the petitions filed by candidates from the LP, Peter Obi, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar challenging the validity of his victory.

In a statement on Monday by its national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party warned that Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) must be cautious in their approach to the matter, which is still in court.

The party said no amount of pressure on the judges in the tribunal could change the processes and requirements that the law has put in place.

The statement said: “We are worried that the statement which formed part of his submissions and was contained in his final written address against the Labour Party’s petition pending at the PEPEC, and meant to be in the exclusive custody of the court was leaked to the media.

“We still do not know the reason behind this act of desperation, even when the matter is still pending in court. We will however be careful not to term the action as sub-judice.

“Having said that, the Labour Party thinks that the statement was unnecessary since the matter is already before the court, and going ahead to pontificate on it could be construed as interference in the duties and responsibilities of the judiciary.

The truth of the matter is that there are no sentiments when it comes to matters of law. The law is the law and once the law has stipulated the manner and how a matter must be carried out, it must follow that pattern.

“If the law has stated the requirement that a presidential candidate must meet before he can be declared, there is no shortcut to it.

“Therefore, if the constitution which is the ground norm of the law in Nigeria has stated clearly that you must score at least 25 percent in FCT before the president can be declared, anything short of that can not remedy it.

“We insist that no amount of threat from the APC on the judges in the tribunal can change the processes and requirements that the law has put in place. It must be followed and that is the position of the Labour Party.

“Let me assure the APC and their leaders that if there were no absurdity, chaos, and anarchy when they forced their way into power, Nigeria will still witness peace when they are eventually evicted from power.”