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PDP condemns declaration of Yahaya Bello as Kogi governor-elect

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja
06 December 2015   |   9:08 am
The PDP said INEC, in the bid to satisfy the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government, succeeded only in making a mockery of itself.
Bello

Bello

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as a waste of time, scarce national resources and ridiculous shadow-chasing, the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in declaring one Yahaya Bello, purported to be of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and who did not participate in the overall election, as Kogi State governor-elect.

The PDP said INEC, in the bid to satisfy the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government, succeeded only in making a mockery of itself and the entire electoral process, by trying to illegally install an individual who, apart from not being a valid candidate, scored, under his name, a paltry 6885 vote in the so-called supplementary election as against the 204,877 votes polled by the PDP candidate, Governor Idris Wada in the overall election.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Sunday said “the action of INEC in trying to transfer the votes earlier garnered by the dead APC candidate, Prince Audu Abubakar to another
individual is completely impractical and alien to the nation’s Constitution and the Electoral Act.”

Metuh’s statement further reads: “The declaration by INEC that one Yahaya Bello polled the highest number
of votes is an embarrassing travesty of the nation’s democracy and electoral process. Not only that this individual is not in anyway a valid candidate in the election, he also did not score the overall votes declared against his name by INEC and cannot be declared winner under any circumstance within the provisions of our laws.

“The provisions of the constitution and the electoral act are clear to the effect that with the unfortunate death of Prince Abubakar Audu before the conclusion of the election, and the fact that the laws do not permit the replacement of candidates once the balloting has commenced, the APC crashed out of the race, leaving the PDP candidate, Governor Idris Wada as the clear winner, having garnered 204,877 votes to top all other contestants since, Prince Ababakar, the hitherto leading contestant died with his votes.

“It is therefore unfortunate that INEC disregarded the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, which left it with no other legitimate option than to declare Governor Idris Wada the governor-elect. Instead, it went ahead to preside over a charade, for which it is now attempting to illicitly handover the vote cast for a
dead man to another person, who did not participate in the overall election.

“We all, including INEC and the APC know that nothing other than declaring Governor Idris Wada winner of the election fulfills the requirements of the law under the circumstance. APC cannot have two candidates in one election and the bitter in-fighting within their fold shows the absurdity of INEC’s decision in that regard. Indeed, we remain shocked that INEC could elect to create such embarrassing and inciting setting just to show its ‘friendship’ with the ruling government.

“Our advice to the APC, Yahaya Bello and their co-travellers in illegality is that theirs is a mere pipe dream as Governor Wada remains validly elected within the dictates of our laws under the circumstance.

“Finally, we charge all our members and supporters to remain calm and resist all provocations from the APC, which is now seeking the opportunity to trigger violence in the face of their misfortune, especially as the law will soon take the center stage, right the wrong created by INEC and declare Governor Wada winner.”

12 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    Naija!!! The laughing stock of the entire world!

    As intelligent as Nigerians are, there are just a few useless and corrupt individuals manipulating everyone.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Metuh & PDP – The election was fair, credible and devoid of rigging. This is good on Nigeria that we can now say this. So APC has a mandate that is credible. As for the technicalities of a replacement for Abubakar Audu – Goodluck as you file the petition at the election tribunal. Yahaya Bello, may God preserve his life, would be sworn in as the Governor and your petition, if you file it, would be treated on the merit of the case. And yes, there will be peace and everyone would conduct themselves peacefully.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Must PDP complain about this election? Apc has the final say once INEC have declared Yahyah Bello as a winner, why complaining. Koduro soke congratulation mr Yahyah Bello. Chilling, wine

      • Author’s gravatar

        Good announcement. Let’s follow the normal protocol. Late prince Audu as not being sware in, why Falake will be saying he want to become a gov. Without Audu swearing before he dead let’s go back to tradition. Kogi koni baje ooo

  • Author’s gravatar

    Faleke is the governor elect. President Buhari carelessly vacated the moral ground. He used INEC to imposed Fulani Bello a non candidate. Faleke will have to be a complete idiot to accept deputy post.

  • Author’s gravatar

    It is only in Nigeria that a party in chaos wins an election. A party whose supposed running mate has rejected the imposed candidate will now win? Na wa o. One step forward, 10 steps backward. Sai Baba.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Metuh is fast becoming the biggest political clown in Nigeria. Metuh as PDP spokesperson is suppose to be at least a political encyclopedia or have a retentive memory of political activities that happened in Nigeria under PDP 16 rule. What is alien in our political history? That, Inec declared an elections inconclusive or Candidates have been substituted? What is alien Mr Metuh, that, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, declared Rotimi Ameachi as the Governor of Rivers, when he never contested the elections, ruled and declared that, votes belong to political parties and not to individuals. If votes belong to individuals, why was the PDP with Metuh as its spokesman , physically , manually and legally doing everything possible to ensure that, Tambuwal vacate his seat as Speaker? Why was the PDP in court seeking the court to declare the seats of the decampees?

    Metuh, what is alien in our political history, that, Presidents have died in office? Even under the military when we had no written constitution, there was a successful transition from Murtala Mohammed to Olusegun Obasanjo, Abacha to Abdulsalam Abubukar. What is alien, when the constitution and electoral laws are very clear on issues of succession of all elective offices. The case of Kogi has simple gone further to enrich our democracy and has portrayed the APC as a mature political party. Metuh, what would have been alien is to declare Wada as Governor-elect in an elections he won less than 4 LGAs . Metuh should recall that, Goodluck Jonathan became Governor, President without contesting any election as candidate but could achieve that, cos there as a constitutional succession plan. So far, the 2 elections conducted under PMB has seen practically no interference by the Federal Govt in terms of using the Police, Army , DSS and others to intimidate voters. PMB has deliberately decided to portray and be seen as a President for every Nigerian, reasons why, he has not personally led any Guber campaign as the PDP was doing. So Metuh go to court.

    • Author’s gravatar

      So did Tambuwal give back his PDP votes? Did those governors give back PDP its votes since the votes belong to the party according to your supreme court? Metuh is no political clown.

      • Author’s gravatar

        Below are sentiments and positions expressed by the PDP excluding the forceful attempt to prevent him access to House and withdrawal of security details:
        `Tambuwal’s decision did not go down well with the high and mighty in the hierarchy of the PDP, to the extent that the ruling party immediately called for his resignation from the position, saying that he should vacate his seat.
        National publicity secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, said Tambuwal lacked the moral ground to remain the speaker, having ditched “the majority party in the house.”
        “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party met with PDP leaders in the House of Representatives concerning the defection of the speaker. After a thorough consideration
        of the matter, the NWC came to a conclusion that the Speaker, as a responsible elected officer, knows full well what is needful and honourable of him, since his new party is in the minority. We are not
        unmindful of the fact that Tambuwal became Speaker on the platform of the PDP as the political party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and that this incontrovertible fact has not changed,”
        he said.
        Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, said: “For me, we had always suspected that the Speaker of the House of Representatives was in name a PDP member but
        in action, an opposition party member. So, what has happened is a culmination of what we had suspected. I, therefore, expect that being a honourable member, which he is, he knows the right thing to do; that he
        was elected on the platform of the PDP and today he has defected to the opposition, and there is no crisis or division in PDP. So, the law is very clear and the constitution is very clear.”
        Also calling for Tambuwal’s resignation, the party’s national secretary Professor Wale
        Oladipo, described the speaker’s action, thus: “Good riddance!
        Read more at
        https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/sunday/index.php/top-stories/18626-defection-plot-to-remove-tambuwal-as-speaker-thickens#eSWZMGdfELfMYwKj.99

    • Author’s gravatar

      Albert you are the biggest CLOWN on this board and those who are making mockery of democracy. It shows how shallow and corrupt INEC and APC is in the ranking of stupidity and corruption. Bello did not contest the real governorship election and been imposed on the people of Kogi and idiots like you and dumbs like your APC supporter think that is the right thing. The Taraba state governor elect was removed by APC tribunal because PDP did not hold primary election in Taraba but Abuja and then they believe that is enough to remove a governor elected by the people of Jigawa, what a laughing stock Nigeria has become under the APC government of illiterates ahahahahaha. You are bling you need to be reading and listening to how democracy is been practice for real outside that your cave.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Let’s support him and pray for him to live long. Wish him best of luck