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PDP urges supporters to participate in supplementary guber poll

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh (Abuja) and Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh, Uyo
15 March 2019   |   3:04 am
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s National Working Committee (NWC) rose from its meeting yesterday urging its members to participate in the Saturday, March 23, supplementary governorship elections in six states. The NWC assured that the party would win in those states in spite of “All Progressives Congress (APC) rigging machines.” In a communiqué signed by its…

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s National Working Committee (NWC) rose from its meeting yesterday urging its members to participate in the Saturday, March 23, supplementary governorship elections in six states.

The NWC assured that the party would win in those states in spite of “All Progressives Congress (APC) rigging machines.”

In a communiqué signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, he said, “The party’s hierarchy condemns, in very strong terms, the manner in which Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, declared elections in states where PDP had popular support and defeated APC as inconclusive.

“Whereas in Ogun State, where APC failed to get a higher margin of lead over cancelled votes, its candidate, Dapo Abiodun, was declared winner.”

The PDP said it found it strange that INEC could have different rules in the same election for the various political parties.

“More worrisome is the resolution which arose from a meeting between some APC governors and President Muhammadu Buhari, where a decision was taken to seize Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Plateau, Sokoto and Kano states in the March 23, supplementary election.

“The PDP wishes to state that after our deliberation and interface with stakeholders from the states where governorship supplementary elections will hold, the party mandates all our members to resist any attempt by anybody to tamper with the people’s will in their states,” the communiqué reads.

In Sokoto state, the PDP boasted that its “victory at the March 23 supplementary election is guaranteed.

“In Benue, the people have expressed their readiness to go into the supplementary election and they are prepared to vote for PDP candidate, Governor Samuel Ortom.

“They are also aware that by the party’s current leading margin of over 81,000 votes, it is clear that there is no way APC, with all its manipulations, militarisation, arm-twisting, intimidation and harassment, will defeat the PDP in Benue.

“In Adamawa, the PDP observed APC’s mischievous calculation in sponsoring someone, who did not participate in the election, to go to court and claim that his party’s logo was omitted in the ballot paper,” he said.

Ologbondiyan expressed confidence that victory would smile on the PDP in Bauchi, Kano, Plateau and even Rivers where the ruling party plans to deny the people their right to choose leaders of their choice.

Meanwhile, PDP in Akwa Ibom State has said APC’s call for cancellation of the just-concluded elections is a mirage.

The party, in a statement signed by its state Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong said APC’s accusation that the PDP used thugs and falsification of results to win the elections was a figment of their imagination, describing such as ‘losers’ lies.’

“The PDP is ready to confront the APC with fact and evidences at the tribunal.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we must state that the APC lost in all the local councils, including Essien Udim and Ikot Abasi local councils.

In Essien Udim, materials in Ekpeyong ward were hijacked by APC agents at voting units in Independence High School, thugs and policemen sympathetic to Senator Akpabio mounted the gates and prevented PDP supporters from gaining access to the venue, among other infractions in other parts of the state.

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