PDP candidate tackles party leadership over withdrawal from Saturday’s council polls in Ondo

Barely 24 hours before the Ondo council elections, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) criticised the decision of the party leadership to withdraw from the election.

Tuyi Adekambi, the PDP chairmanship candidate for Akure South, while speaking on behalf of other candidates in Akure, tackled the party for the withdrawal, describing it as an infringement on their rights to contest the election.

Mr Adekanmbi, who doubled as the PDP Youth Leader in Akure South, challenged the party leadership for withdrawing 72 hours before the contest without consulting with the candidates.

He said, “The decision to boycott the election is an aberration, an infringement on our rights, and a disservice to democracy.”

“For the party to withdraw just 72 hours before the election is a betrayal, not only to us as candidates but also to the people of Akure South, who have supported us. We believe we have a strong chance of winning, with nearly 85 per cent support from the electorate.

“We are deeply disappointed by the party’s decision and see it as a failure of leadership. Moving forward, we will communicate our next line of action to the public. For now, we thank the people of Akure for their unwavering support and urge them to remain steadfast.

“This decision was not ours. The party leadership has failed us and the people of Akure. We remain committed to the democratic process and will continue to fight for what is right.”

However, the party leadership has insisted that the decision to pull out of the election was well taken. “We understand the feelings of some of the candidates, having invested their emotions and funds into the election, but what an elder will see while sitting, a child may not see it even if it climbs the treetop,” Kennedy Peretei, the party’s publicity secretary, said.

Mr Peretei acknowledged that the election was imminent, leaving little room for further action at this stage, and affirmed that the party’s position remains unchanged.

PDP pulls out of Ondo LG polls, cites lack of transparency

Meanwhile, Ondo State Chief Judge Olusegun Odutola has inaugurated the Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal to address possible electoral disputes following the LG polls.

The tribunal members are Dickson Oguntuyi, Ruth Adebodun, Kehinde Aladedutire, Aduroja Atinuke, Lebi Olalekan, and Victor Ajayi. At the inauguration ceremony, which was held at the Conference Hall of the Ondo State High Court on Thursday, Mr Odutola said the appointed chairperson and tribunal members were designated to preside over election petition tribunals.

“This occasion underscores the vital role of the judiciary in safeguarding democracy, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring that justice is dispensed without fear or favour,” the Chief Judge said.

He stated that elections are the foundation of democracy, enabling the people to select their leaders according to their will. He emphasised that when disputes arise, the judiciary serves as a vital institution for interpreting the law, resolving conflicts, and restoring public confidence in the electoral process.

The Informant247 had gathered that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo state had announced their withdrawal from the Saturday local council elections, citing a lack of credibility and transparency.

The PDP said its decision to pull out was followed by consultations with party leaders, stakeholders, and its National Secretariat.

The party initially fielded 15 chairmanship candidates across 15 Local Government Areas and 131 councillorship candidates.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Ondo PDP Director of Media and Publicity, Leye Igbabo, accused the Ondo Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) of lacking credibility, transparency, and impartiality.

According to Igbabo, ODIEC’s alleged double standards have raised doubts about its ability to conduct a free, fair, and credible election.

He says, “As a responsible political party committed to democracy and the rule of law, we cannot, in good conscience, confer legitimacy on this compromised process by participating in the election.

“We have, therefore, resolved to withdraw our participation in this exercise to uphold the integrity of our party and our unwavering belief in credible electoral practices.

“We further assure our teeming supporters and the good people of Ondo State that our commitment to sanitise the Electoral process is irrevocable.”

Reacting to the development, the chairman of ODIEC,  Dr. Joseph Aremo, said he was shocked at the withdrawal of the PDP from the polls after participating in all the processes.

Aremo, who spoke in Akure while inspecting the distribution of sensitive materials, said 13 political parties indicated interest in contesting in Saturday’s polls, adding the Ondo PDP has submitted a list of its agents.

“What we have done is to create a template where every party has the ability to showcase whatever it has. The PDP has been part and parcel of the process. “And they have been commending us.

Even if you go online, you find that they have been saying that they have confidence in us. And that what we have been doing so far has been transparently done.

“But for us, it doesn’t matter if any party withdraw. What matters to us is to conduct an election that is going to be free, fair, credible, and transparent. The election will be seamless and peaceful.”

Source: Premium Times