Abia govt, PDP trade words over alleged plot to influence election tribunal judgement

<p>The Abia State Government has denied allegations by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that it is planning to mobilize protests to influence the outcome of elections tribunal ruling in the State.</p>, <p>It also denied the claims by the PDP that the government and the Labour Party are planning to cause mayhem in the State should the outcome of the ruling go against them.</p>, <p>In a statement signed by Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Alex Otti, he described the allegations as peddled by corrupt leaders whose situation has become pathetic due to lack of access to public funds.</p>, <p>He equally described the PDP allegations as misleading fabrication and infantile strategy.</p>, <p>It said Otti and his party, LP, have been busy with governance while the PDP has been spreading endless propaganda to misinform the public about events at the election petition tribunal.</p>, <p>The statement in part: “Even though the Labour Party is the ruling party, we have conducted ourselves with decency and decorum by refusing to unleash hoodlums in and around the tribunal premises like the PDP and the former government did during their tenure. Facts on ground can clearly prove that the PDP and its army of thugs have been the ones constituting nuisance through their actions and utterances, on the wrong assumption that their poor siege strategy would stampede the justices to hand over undeserved victory to them.”</p>, <p>It alleged that the PDP and its candidates have been carrying money around the country, looking for who to bribe to compromise the judges without success.</p>, <p>“Again, if the false alarm was also to ward off our supporters who may henceforth want to be at the Tribunal while the PDP and their hired noisy supporters continue to besiege the court and give false impression of their popularity and acceptability, then they have also failed because our supporters will peacefully remain at the tribunal to observe proceedings as required by law.</p>, <p>“The Alex Otti led-go