Date: 2014-12-10

Scores of aggrieved people and 11 governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State on Tuesday stormed the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists along Offa Road, Ilorin, the Kwara State capital to protest against the postponed state PDP governorship primary.

Accreditation had been completed for the primary on Monday at Stella Obasanjo Hall, Ilorin, but the primary was later postponed while many of the delegates were already seated and were waiting for the commencement of voting at Arca Santa Hall.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘We say no to fake delegates.’ ‘Kwarans say no to second slavery.’ ‘It is democracy, don’t impose on us.’ ‘Kwara PDP is now or never.’

The Chairman of the state Governorship Aspirants Forum, Senator Simeon Ajibola, during a media briefing which was attended by 10 other aspirants, said they were opposed to the imposition of any candidate, and demanded a level playing field for all the aspirants.

He also said the aspirants would support any candidate selected through a due process and transparent primary.

Other aspirants that attended the conference were: Senator Suleiman Ajabi, Prof. Oba Abdulraheem; Senator Gbemisola Saraki; Alhaji Hakeem Lawal; Mr. Bio Ibrahim, Mr. Sunday Babalola, Mr. Kale Belgore, Alhaji Abdullahi Sanusi, Mr. Jani Ibrahim and Mr. John Dara.

Ajibola alleged that instead of 709 accredited delegates, no fewer than 1,500 delegates were seen in the hall where voting was supposed to have taken place. He also alleged that there were attempts to manipulate the primary in favour of a particular aspirant.

He stated that there was no election or primary in the state on Monday.

He said, “As the aspirants to the election, after fulfilling all the requirements according to the constitution of our party and the electoral guidelines, we are disturbed and highly embarrassed to watch the process being subverted and later disrupted.

“We therefore wish to categorically and unequivocally state that there was no election held. We also aver that we are conversant with the laws of the party and we request the leadership of our party to as a matter of urgency, order a fresh election between December 10 and 11, 2014.”

Meanwhile, the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has described the botched PDP governorship primary as unsurprising.

In a statement on Tuesday by its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, the state APC said the PDP had allegedly brought disrepute to the status of Kwara State as the most harmonious state in Nigeria.