FCT Tribunal Judgement: Ominous Signs Of Violence, Violent Protests Set To Unfold By The APC In Attempts To Blackmail FCT Minister To Commit Illegality
The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abuja Municipal Area Council Chief God-I-Beg Egbeh has hinted that
the FCT Election Petition Tribunal judgement last Friday has resonated ominous signs of looming trouble to discerning members of the public especially, the People Democratic Party, PDP the APC'S insistence on the FCT Minister by marching through the city, is a dangerous move given their antecedents.
This was contained in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.
The statement reads in bits; "It is with every sense of responsibility, unbridled patriotism and commitment to the maintenance and sustainance of law and order that I issue this media statement on behalf of my party at the local government level in the context of unfolding rumours capable of complicating the already tense and fragile security of the Federal Capital Territory and Abuja Municipal Area Council. This submission is made for relevant agencies of government to take urgent steps in nibbing it in the buds.
"The FCT Election Petition Tribunal judgement last Friday has resonated ominous signs of looming trouble to discerning members of the public especially, the People Democratic Party, PDP the APC'S insistence on the FCT Minister by marching through the city, is a dangerous move given their antecedents.
"It would be recalled that the recent judgement passed by the FCT Election petition Tribunal which swung to the APC against the sitting Chairman. We were not satisfied and went further, obtaining an order of stay of execution barring all concerned to implement it untill the matter is further thrashed at the Appeal Tribunal.
"In truth, the atmosphere is charged with widespread rumours of a planned "invasion" of strategic institutions and public places within the Federal Capital City and its environs, the Minister's office and AMAC Secretariat by the APC mainly consisting of 1, 000 thugs and miscreants sponsored by some notable members of their party.
"Our second worry is for the safety of the entire territory not even the APC's astute stance for the Minister to act out of order. The APC's planned seige on Radio/Tv stations, FCDA, AMAC, FCT INEC and other public institutions, has been conclusively slated to hold as from Monday, August, 8th until the Minister and INEC swear-in their principal.
"The protest, which is their own way of forcing or prompting the FCT Minister to accede to their insatiable cravings of immediately swearing-in Murtala Usman Karshi as a substantive Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council without recourse to the Court Order and notice of Appeal obtained by lawyers to the sitting Chairman, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, is to say the least, misplaced and irresponsible.
"As a law-abiding party and leader of the party at the grassroots level, I am concerned with the chain reaction this rumour has brought considering the ultimate act that no one has the monopoly of violence. Our members, mostly youths, say they are tired of the intimidations and babarism of the ever-combative, confrontational and contemptuous supporters of the APC in the FCT" .
The statement continued: "Our party is pertubed by their latest undoing as a result of their desperation and disregard to public peace. Last Friday, they swooped on AMAC secretariat as soon as they received the ridiculous and incredible tribunal judgement in their favour. Their supporters, who mainly consisted of blood-thirsty thugs, disrupted governmental and thriving businesses in the city when news of invasion of AMAC filtered and scared away people as a result of their outlandish attack on the PDP-led institution. They practically tore off posters and banners, chanting fiery war-like renditions that absolutely portrayed their penchant for provocative and destructive tendencies - Violence, so to say.
"Without mincing words, even the APC knows that the FCT is the stronghold of the PDP which is why they are busy recruiting mescrants mostly miscreants from neighbouring Nasarawa and Niger states to vote and rain violence on our elections.
"The APC should not tempt the PDP supporters to retaliate or to be modest, defend themselves in the event of their trademark provocation. As always, they being in the city is an obvious threat to public peace in the name of protests. Henceforth, we may not be able to restrain our supporters any longer; we might just fold our arms and allow our supporters to uncork their bottled-up anger in defense against the perennial intimidation if government fails to curtail the excesses of the APC.
"As lay men, we all know that once a judgement has been appealed and an order restraining the prayers of a judgement, no one has the locus to act otherwise. I will advise some of the few conscenteous or learned members of the APC to urgently speak to those inciting and recruiting miscreants to forment trouble sheathe their swords pending the determination of the case at a higher tribunal.
"APC supporters and leaders should stop feeding their members with falsehood especially, on social media platforms as this has also brought about "media" assaults and gross disunity and hatred against one another which doesn't speak well for the very fragile peace serenity and progressive development of the territory.
The "deciders" and "moneybags" especially, in AMAC APC, must note that we will also not relent until we receive justice at the Appeal Tribunal. We won't rest on our oars until we see that the rule of law is followed to the latter.
I wish to warn that the APC in AMAC should stop the futile celebrating a Phyrric victory that they know is ridiculously suspicious and does not reflect the true position of things.
On the whole, both the FCT Minister, Mallam Mohammed Musa Bello and security agencies must watch out for those "weaponised" protesters to stem the tide of violence giving the impressions they just painted in their latest attempts to blackmail FCT Minister into commit illegality", the statement further stated.