The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has come under scathing criticism from the Ondo State Chapter of the Labour Party (LP) over its remarks in the media following their challenge of the victory of Governor Olusegun Mimiko in last month’s election at the Election petition tribunal in Akure saying that the ACN cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time.
The ACN had on Sunday through its Media Assistant; Mr. Idowu Ajanaku attempted to rationalise the reasons the party was in court mentioning allegations bothering on criminal practices against the Labour Party (LP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which they insisted resorted in the election victory of Dr Olusegun Mimiko.
However, the Labour Party in a statement on Monday berated the ACN saying that once matters are in court, it becomes sub judice and should not be a subject of media analysis as the ACN has now turned the matter into, adding that these antics would not avail them favour before the Tribunal.
According to the LP’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Femi Okunjemiruwa, “the position of the Law is that once a matter is in court, nobody should comment on it in the media as the ACN is now doing. If you go to court with weighty allegations as the ones being made by the party, it is necessary on you to be ready to prove these allegations rather than resorting to media rigmarole as the ACN is trying to do, they ought to be aware of the legal maxim which says he who alleges must prove.”
The LP spokesperson while stating that even from the tirades of the ACN as enunciated by its media manager, it was obvious that they were a bunch of confused people merely out to play mischief rather than be serious at the tribunal.
His words: “while we are not going to join issues with those who are, from all intent and purposes, not ready to subject themselves to the rule of the court considering their posturing in the last few months before, during and after the election, we would like to say that some of the issues raised were pre-election matters and not election matters.
“The rule is that since they have gone to court, they should allow the court to adjudicate on the matter rather than trying to play media stunts with all these phantom allegations which they should be prepared to substantiate rather than resorting to a fly in the ointment tactics which failed them during the election.
“It was this party that had raised the issue of over-voting; snatching of ballot papers, arrests of LP and government officials in their press statement. Pray, what will they say at the Tribunal? We are aware that they are merely providing an escape route for themselves when they eventually lose at the Tribunal because all their antics would not avail them favour in the court; he who alleges must prove with concrete facts and not mundane excuses,” Okujemiruwa stated, concluding that the ACN wants to get through the back door, what it could not get through a free and fair election like the one that took place on October 20th.
“Perhaps the party is still under the illusion that the judiciary is still under the control of the cash and carry characters of old. The era of judgement purchase is over and the earlier the ACN realise that the better for them”.
