PDP blasts Okorocha over attack on Jonathan

The ruling party said Imo state governor is afraid his mandate may be annulled by the Supreme Court.

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has slammed the Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, for accusing President Goodluck Jonathan of planning to influence the Supreme Court on a pending case challenging Mr Okorocha’s emergence as governor.

The party said the allegation was part of the governor’s strategy to whip up sentiments to sway the judiciary by portraying himself as being under attack.

The party accused Mr Okorocha of attempting to divert the attention from the substance of the Supreme Court case slated for October 31, 2013.

The court will rule on the case challenging Mr Okorocha’s mandate as governor.

Mr Okorocha reportedly accused Mr Jonathan of planning to influence the judgement of the Supreme Court on the suit challenging his emergence as governor, which has been fixed for Thursday.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the PDP said Mr Okorocha had always been jittery that justice would prevail against him for allegedly stealing the peoples’ mandate in 2011, hence his recent deployment of blackmail and attacks on the Judiciary and the Presidency ahead of the apex court’s ruling on the case.

“This governor has been living in morbid fear of having justice prevailing against him at the Supreme Court for stealing the mandate of the people in 2011,” the party said in a statement.

“As such, he now seeks to use the instrumentality of blackmail and political subterfuge to divert the attention of the Supreme Court from the substance of the case against him ahead of the apex court’s ruling on October 31, 2013.

“It is to say the least, despicable that a state governor who swore to defend the constitution, will in a desperate bid to retain a stolen mandate, condescend so low to attempt to hoodwink and undermine the sacred institution of the Judiciary, even the Supreme Court.”

The PDP said while it remains steadfast in its belief in the impartiality of the judiciary, it was calling on this institution to note the activities of such undemocratic elements who seek to use every means to undermine and derail it.

“Moreover, the APC is aware that it will lose the 2015 general elections and even the governorship of states presently under its control. As such, it is now using the Imo state governor’s attempt to blackmail the Judiciary a test for a bigger plot to weaken this institution ahead of 2015,” the party said.