PDP pulls out of Ondo LG polls, cites lack of transparency
Ahead of the Saturday, 18th January 2025, local council elections in Ondo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced its withdrawal from the exercise, 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.
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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: The Nation
