Some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in Ondo State have openly opposed the withdrawal of the party from the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2025.
On Thursday, the PDP announced its withdrawal from the election citing distrust of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC).
The party accused the commission of bias and said the electoral process was neither free nor fair.
Naija News had earlier reported that the PDP announced its decision to withdraw from the election in a statement issued by its Director, Media and Publicity, Mr. Raye Igbabo.
“Our party has fielded 15 chairperson candidates and 131 city council candidates in 15 local governments. However, in all respects, ODIEC’s credibility, transparency and impartiality are a test of integrity,” the statement said. has not passed.
“Recent observations and reports point to a troubling pattern of double standards by ODIEC, raising serious questions about their ability to conduct free, fair and credible elections. Democracy and Law As a responsible party committed to control, we cannot in good conscience lend legitimacy to this compromised process by participating in elections.
“We have therefore decided to withdraw our participation in this exercise in order to protect our party’s integrity and our unwavering belief in reliable election practices.”
Reacting to the PDP’s directive, the PDP chairmanship candidate for Akure South LGA, Mr. Tui Aderami, and other councilor candidates of the LG condemned the party’s actions, saying there was not sufficient consultation on the decision. did.
Speaking on behalf of himself and the city council candidates in parliament, Adelami said the party’s actions were a violation of their rights.
He said, “As aspirants, we believe we have a responsibility to participate and have expressed our desire to proceed. The state chairman, Mr. Bakita Bello, has given us the go-ahead. Substantial support from the party. Despite this, we started preparing. We printed posters, held meetings, and went on a community sensitization campaign to woo voters under the banner of PDP. I worked on it.
“However, last week there were rumors that the PDP might boycott the elections. Despite reassurances from the state chairman who encouraged us to proceed, a letter was sent to ODIEC last night confirming that the PDP may boycott the elections. We have announced that we will withdraw from the election.This decision was taken without consulting us aspirants and is considered a violation of our rights.
“We invested a lot in this process, both financially and emotionally. We paid for the documents, followed all the formalities, and gave our all to this election. At the local government level Even so, elections are expensive, and we have spent significant resources on campaigning and community engagement.
“The withdrawal of the party 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. The decision to boycott the election is an aberration, a violation of our rights, and an affront to our democracy.”
