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Festus Keyamo, a spokesman for the disbanded All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, chastised the opposition Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday night for attempting to influence the judiciary in advance of Monday’s hearing at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

Following the PDP’s accusations that the ruling party was frantically trying to sway the panel’s decision, the latest development has taken place just hours later.

At a news conference led by Mr. Debo Ologunagba, the national publicity secretary of the opposition party, the accusations were aired.

According to the PDP image maker, the APC is planning to undermine the court by using strong financial incentives and fabricated claims of improper behavior against judicial officials.

In a statement released in Abuja in response to the assertion, Keyamo revealed that the PDP is gaining sympathy before the hearing on Monday by employing cheap blackmail and reverse psychology.

He said, “The PDP’s press conference today, making all sorts of allegations regarding an alleged plan by the APC to influence the outcome of the Court’s proceedings in the Presidential Election Petitions over which hearings would begin tomorrow in Abuja is nothing but just hot air.

“PDP and its sister company, the LP have been the ones sponsoring surrogates to ‘speak out’ against the outcome of the largely free and fair 2023 Presidential elections when their cases are still pending in Court. That is contempt of court and we are within our rights to correct the wrong impressions about the elections being created before Nigerians and the international community. How they see that as an ‘attack’ is comical.

“In fact, these Siamese twins of PDP and LP (we all saw Obi genuflecting before his boss, Atiku, yesterday in Yenagoa) are the ones issuing veiled threats to our judiciary and judicial officers, either by themselves or through their surrogates, be they in religious circles or in civil society or the labour unions. So, by pretentiously raising this so-called alarm, they are playing a game of ‘reverse psychology’.

“In all the States where the PDP won and the LP also won (both Senate, Governorship and the others), INEC have filed their responses in court defending those declarations of the winners as correct. To the uninformed, they should be alerted that it is the legal duty of INEC to stand by their declarations in court and what they are doing in the case of APC in the Presidential Election Petition is not strange. They should have also queried INEC for defending them in those States where they won.

“This panic Press Conference today is a clear attempt by the PDP to play to the gallery. Instead of going to court tomorrow to begin to prove its case, it has resorted to cheap and emotional blackmail. The allegations are infantile, lacking in substance, and devoid of proof. Nigerians should dismiss them with a wave of the hand, please.”

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has freed 58 hostages who were being kept captive in the Udulu Forest, Gegu LGA of Kogi State, bordering Sardauna Forest, Nasarawa State, and other kidnappers’ hideouts in nearby areas.

SP Josephine Adeh, spokesperson of the command said that, “The bandits/Kidnappers on sighting the security team coordinated by the Police fired at the security team which resulted in a shootout.

“The bandits were overpowered and escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries leaving behind their victims.

“The rescue is part of efforts by the Command leadership, in a sustained joint operation with other security agencies with vigilantes and hunters from the various local communities, to combat violent crimes in the FCT, rescue victims and bring perpetrators to book.

“The Commissioner of Police, FCT Police Command, CP  Haruna Garba has vowed that effort will be sustained to prevent any further threats to safety and security of residents.

“The Command would also not relent in ensuring the rescue of any resident held hostage by criminals, and as well bring the perpetrators to book.

“The CP called for the cooperation of residents, especially in being security conscious and giving credible information to the Police.

However, Tama Jonathan was hurt during the rescue effort and tragically passed away there and then.

“His remains have subsequently been released to his family for burial.

“The other 58 rescued victims are being stabilised in the hospital and would be reunited with their families.

“The CP urged residents to be vigilant, and make  prompt rendition of complaints through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883, while the Public Complaint Bureau (PCB) desk, could be reached on: 0902 222 2352”