A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. John Mayaki, has criticized a recent newspaper editorial titled “All Eyes on Edo Tribunal”, describing it as a calculated attempt by the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to blackmail the judiciary and manipulate public perception.

In a statement released on Monday in Abuja, Mayaki dismissed the full-page editorial as an effort to exert undue pressure on the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

“Those who believe election petitions can be won through sentiment, media blackmail, and coordinated propaganda against the judiciary will be disappointed,” Mayaki said. “Legal battles are won based on the strength of arguments and evidence, not the intensity of pressure applied through partisan journalism.”

Mayaki claimed that the PDP’s unease over the tribunal stems from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to rely solely on certified election results and materials without calling witnesses.

“Since INEC provided these materials, PDP has lost sleep,” Mayaki remarked. “They have now escalated their tactics, targeting the tribunal and judiciary with outright falsehoods.”

The APC chieftain also questioned the editorial’s credibility and journalistic integrity, accusing the newspaper of biased reporting that portrays the PDP as victims while painting the APC as manipulators.

“Why would a seasoned journalist allow himself to be used as a pawn to pressure the judiciary?” Mayaki asked. “Why publish a politically skewed narrative devoid of journalistic balance and factual integrity?”

He criticized the reliance on unnamed sources and vague references to “analysts,” which he said violates ethical journalism principles.

“Journalism should be about facts, not anonymous sources peddling propaganda,” Mayaki insisted.

The APC leader further accused the reporter of double standards, citing past instances of democratic abuses under the PDP-led Edo State government, including the non-inauguration of 14 elected House of Assembly members and alleged judicial disobedience.

“Where was the writer when a former governor refused to swear in judges or disobeyed court judgments to suit political interests?” he questioned.

Mayaki urged the tribunal judges to remain focused on justice, free from intimidation or external pressures.

“This is a test of character, honesty, and integrity for the judges,” he said. “They must uphold the sanctity of the judiciary and ensure that justice is neither swayed by propaganda nor blackmail.”