Imoke, Abang fight for party's ticket todayAT both the political and legal turfs, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is still treading on a slippery path over the forthcoming governorship election in Bayelsa State.While the national leadership of the PDP has cancelled the kick off of the party's campaign for the governorship election in state slated for today, embattled Governor Timipre Sylva, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to revisit a lower court's last minute order clearing Seriake Dickson, as the party's candidate for the February 11, 2012 polls. Sylva said INEC should seek the voiding of the order because 'it is fraudulently obtained.'Meanwhile the PDP will today hold the governorship primary in Cross River State.The contest is between incumbent Governor Liyel Imoke and Nigeria's Ambassador to Mali, Mr. Soni Abang.The two aspirants were screened and cleared to contest the primaries on January 16, 2012 while the ward congresses were held three days after.The aborted rally would have to be conducted by the PDP National Campaign Committee headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo.In a statement issued yesterday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, the party said the action was informed by the killing of several people in Kano State in the spate of bombings by the Boko Haram sect.The party expressed condolence to the families of the victims of the blasts and said a new date would be announced later.The PDP Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, said on behalf of the National Working Committee (NWC) and members of the party nationwide condoled President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso over the Kano 'shocking incident.' The PDP, last week, set up a 28-man campaign committee for the governorship election in the state, with a charge to 'go to Bayelsa and conquer.'Sylva who prayed INEC to initiate proceedings at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, to vacate the ex-parte order, issued by the Federal High Court, Abuja, compelling it to put Dickson's name on the governorship candidates' list, described the development as 'immoral, ungodly and pathetic.'According to Sylva, the court order was obtained by 'fraud in the dead of the night.' He therefore urged INEC to file an application at the Appeal Court for a stay of execution of the order pending the determination of his appeal, seeking to vacate the said order on account that the action which triggered it amounted to an abuse of court/judicial process.The governor contended that an appeal by INEC would have a strong legal footing since the subject matter of the order sought and obtained by Dickson was the same as the one before the Supreme Court and therefore amounted to an abuse of court/judicial process.He added that the fact that the matter was already before the apex court, the high court in obeisance to the hierarchy of courts, ought not to have been entertained or granted such an order that could render proceedings before a superior court nugatory.Sylva had earlier dismissed as 'strange, despicable, and untenable the High Court order granted late Wednesday night 'under an unusually heavy Police presence' compelling INEC to publish Dickson's name as the PDP's standard bearer for the polls.The governor through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Doifie Ola, recalled the events leading to the contentious order, saying it was 'a grave insult on the integrity of the judiciary.'He alleged that the judge threatened his lawyer with armed policemen, saying if he does not go away, the Police would be instructed to throw him out forcefully. 'Out of respect for the institution of the judiciary, my lawyer left the judge's chamber, but he remained in court till 9.00 p.m., when about 100 policemen were brought into the court premises to forcefully chase out the lawyer and my sympathisers.'Sylva, however, said he remains confident in the judiciary and believes that despite the temporary setback, he will use the law to right the manifest injustice and appeals to his supporters to be calm.
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