The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned against any form of imposition, infringement and meddlesomeness in the 3-Man ad hoc and National Delegate Congresses and Primaries slated for Saturday.
It advised all party leaders, stakeholders and officials to conduct themselves in line with the party’s regulations in the exercises.
The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) gave the advice in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba, on Friday in Abuja.
The directive, according to the NWC, was part of the resolution of the committee at its 552nd meeting on Wednesday, April 27, in keeping with its resolve to ensure credible, transparent, free and fair processes in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.
“The NWC advises Party leaders, stakeholders and members at all levels to refrain from any form of imposition, infringement and meddlesomeness in the exercise.
“Any evidence of infringement and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Party’s Electoral Guidelines will attract serious consequences including the cancellation of the outcome of such Ad Hoc Delegate Congresses.”
The NWC directed all members and officials of the party to respect and fully comply with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Guidelines in the conduct of the 3-man ad hoc and national delegates’ congresses and primaries.
It also directed that the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 with regard to consensus candidates in the coming ad hoc and national delegate elections must be observed in the conduct of the exercise.
“All Party leaders, critical stakeholders and Party members should be guided accordingly,” he said.
Similarly, the Indigenes of Ijede in Ikorodu, Lagos State, have urged stakeholders and political leaders to maintain the established zoning system on the Ikorodu Constituency II, Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) slot.
Ikorodu constituency II is made up of three Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) — Ijede, Igbogbo-Baiyeku and Imota.
Days back, some traditionalists, in their regalia, moved around Ijede community to protest against any push for a candidate that is not an indigene of the area.
Speaking in Ikorodu, the traditional leader of Ijede, High Chief Alliu Musediku, insisted that there was an agreement on zoning which must be respected.
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Musediku, who said he was speaking the minds of his people, said that stakeholders in constituency II had agreed on a mandatory rotation of the Lagos Assembly slot to all the three parts that made up the constituency.
The traditional leader, who is also the Olisa of the community, said that the agreement was initiated in 1999 when the country returned to civil rule.
According to him, the entire leaders of the constituency have an agreement to support the continuity of the rotational accord that has since been in existence.
“We will not accept any aspirant from other regions, except an indigene of Ijede community as agreed by elders, traditional rulers, and political leaders of Ikorodu constituency II.
“It was agreed that the slot should be based on the zoning system among the three regions for justice and fair play.
“The arrangement started from Ijede with a lawmaker, Mr Saheed Hassan, who spent two terms and it was later zoned to Igbogbo where late Rotimi Sotomiwa, represented constituency II at LAHA.
“The second term was completed by Mrs Adebimbe Akinsola before it was zoned to Imota where the incumbent, Mr Nurudeen Sholaja, emerged as the LAHA member whose tenure is winding up.
“It is our turn to produce a candidate now for the zone; no aspirant vying for LAHA will be accepted except the Ijede community for justice and equity.
He urged residents to go out en masse to register and revalidate their Permanent Voter Cards, to be able to elect candidates of their choice in the forthcoming general election.