The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday raised alleged that there were plots by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use the trio of Governors Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo state and Yahaya Bello of Kogi State to derail the September 19 Edo State governorship election.
The PDP said it was already aware that the trio were selected by the APC to lead its campaign in Edo state so as to force a combined formula of Kano and Kogi electoral violence as well as Imo state “mandate robbery” to subvert the will of the people in the governorship election.
The PDP, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it was pathetic that the APC only had a person “who has become a butt of international shame after being seen in a viral video stuffing his robe with gratification, in foreign currency, to serve as Chairman of its Edo state governorship campaign council.”
According to the PDP, “It is equally contemptuous that such a person is being deputised by another individual, who has become a metaphor of electoral manipulation, after being so docketed by a judgment of the Supreme Court.”
The PDP noted that it is also disgusting that “a governor who deployed a Police helicopter to scare voters on election day has been mandated to deploy thugs and dangerous weapons through the northern borderlines of Edo State ahead of the election.”
The opposition party claimed that part of APC’s plot is to import election mercenaries as observers to attempt to scare the people of Edo state, suppress them and steal their mandate.
The PDP said it has observed that, “with its defective nomination process, an ailing campaign council and a dented governorship candidate, it is clear that the APC is not preparing for issue-based and people-oriented campaign, but for process manipulation and ballot robbery.”
Also yesterday, immediate past House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) screening committee would not unjustly disqualify any aspirant.
Dogara, who gave the assurance while speaking shortly after screening the aspirants in Abuja, said the committee was out for justice and justice would be served.
“Justice is indivisible. What is justice for one has to be justice to the other. We are sure that at the end of the day, the party will be proud of the exercise that we have done. Nobody will be unjustifiably denied clearance for any reason,” he added.
Dogara said the document presented by aspirants would be very useful in considering their qualifications to contest.
”As far as we are concern, once you have your papers and records intact, you are good to go. So, the assurance is that we are out for justice and we will ensure that justice is served to the end,” he said.
GUARDIAN
