National leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, urged the national leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to leave the people of Ekiti State to decide for themselves, accusing him of trying to bar some persons from contesting in Ekiti governorship election in 2014.
In a statement, yesterday, by PDP Acting Publicity Secretary, Mr. Tony Okeke argued that it was extremely “wicked and undemocratic” for Tinubu to ask House of Representatives member from Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, to forget his governorship ambition.
Tinubu: Leader of ACN
The PDP Acting Publicity Secretary said: “By ordering a House of Representatives member from Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, to forget his governorship ambition in the 2014 governorship election, Tinubu has once again displayed his despotic tendencies and utter disdain for democratic process.
“This is extremely wicked and indeed the height of tyranny and outright disparagement for the people and their right to choose their leaders as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution as amended.”
Reminding Tinubu that he was not from Ekiti State and as such should not decide for the people, PDP urged the people of the state “to rise up to the occasion and defend their rights by rejecting the usual practice of allowing godfathers to select their leaders for them.
He said: “In openly endorsing Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, for a second term and ordering Opeyemi to forget his ambition, Tinubu has clearly shown his resolve to truncate laid down electoral processes.
“This will retain the system through which the resources of the state are being diverted to private purses.”
Noting that ACN had shown that it was not ready to respect the rights of the people, PDP urged all lovers of democracy to come over to the “national party where no individual sits in his room and decides who will be candidate for an election.”
Meanwhile, indications emerged, yesterday, that the Special National Convention of PDP, which had been postponed indefinitely, may suffer a major set back.
As part of moves against the Professor Jerry Gana-led Committee, some members of the party have gone to a Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order to set aside the pronouncement of PDP’s last National Executive Committee, NEC, where the appointment of about 18 acting national officers of the party were endorsed.
The three members of the party who had initially instituted a suit, asking for the dissolution of the PDP NWC that eventually led to the resignation of members of NWC, Honourables Abba Yale, Yahaya Sule and Bashir Maidugu have again filed the fresh suit, seeking an order of the Court to set aside and nullify all the processes, leading to the appointment of all the acting national officers.
In the suit filed on their behalf by Jubril Samuel Okutepa, (SAN), the PDP members are contending that the action of the PDP NEC which asked the officers indicted to relinquish their positions amounted to self help, in view of a subsisting case on the matter.
The PDP members are also seeking an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the PDP “ and all its agents including its national chairman, Alhaji Bamamga Tukur and any other person or group of persons acting for and on the behalf of the defendant (PDP) from convening and or holding any meeting or convention in furtherance of the decision of the NEC of the defendant made during the pendency of this suit, pending the hearing and determination of this case”.
The applicants are also seeking an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the PDP national chairman from performing any functions or duties assigned to the PDP NWC, following the resignation and removal of all members of the national working committee.
Further checks revealed that the application was moved before Justice Belgore on Wednesday and the case had since been adjourned till July 15, 2013.
It will be recalled that PDP NEC at the end of its meeting last month directed 20 members of the NWC to vacate their positions, following a report of the INEC which noted that the emergence of the affected officers through voice votes, as against proper election was a contravention of the party guidelines for congresses and conventions.
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