PDP group calls for reversal of postponement

chika ebuzor

September 10, 2015 6:04 AM

Postponing the Kogi State gubernatorial primaries has legal implications, which will put the party in a situation where it will be unable to field any candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Kogi State.

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The PDP Youth Frontier National Coordinator, Usman Okai Austin has called on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi state to reverse the postponement of its governorship primaries.

Austin said the excuse that the primaries was postponed due to logistic issues, is unacceptable.

He said "Postponing the Kogi State gubernatorial primaries has legal implications, which will put the party in a situation where it will be unable to field any candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Kogi State."

Adding that "The INEC deadline for conclusion of gubernatorial primaries in Kogi State is Tuesday 15, September 2015. Why then has the PDP chosen to fix its primaries barely 24 hours before the deadline?"

Citing the INEC guideline for primaries that says: "A political party must submit by written communication to the headquarters of the Commission and no later than 21 days to the date of its primaries, which of the two methods direct or indirect primaries it intends to use in conducting its primaries. Section 17 (c) of the document stipulates that “re-scheduling of any scheduled primaries shall be by a written communication to the Commission not later than seven (7) days to the new date clearly stating the reasons for rescheduling and the new date.”

Austin said going by the above rule, the PDP will not be able to field a governorship candidate.

He said "We therefore call on the National Working Committee of the PDP to immediately rescind this retrogressive decision and proceed with the primaries on Thursday September 10, 2015 as originally scheduled. Anything short of this will be tantamount to putting the PDP in a situation of further chaos, internal party friction and disintegration."

chika ebuzor