Nigeria’s opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has on Friday, August 28, inaugurated its National Campaign Council for the Ondo governorship election scheduled for Oct. 10.
The PDP National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, while inaugurating the council at the party’s national Secretariat in Abuja, urged the team to ensure that Ondo state was delivered to the PDP.
Secondus urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the state election was free and fair.
He also called on all state agencies, including the security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders to play neutral roles and ensure voters made their choice in a free and fair contest.
The party chairman also stressed the need to respect the constitution and the Electoral Act.
According to him, the ruling of the Supreme Court, which states that security agencies and the military should not meddle on election matters outside providing adequate and equal security to all the parties within the requirements of the law should be respected.
“PDP therefore expects that in both Edo and Ondo states elections, the military should be kept out of it completely and the police and other security agencies, who are supposed to be at the election venues, should be made to operate within the dictates of the law.”
The Chairman of the campaign council and Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde, expressed the readiness of the PDP governors to support the election of the party’s candidate in Ondo, Mr Eyitayo Jegede.
Makinde said that the PDP governors would play their roles and support Jegede to win.
“One of our responsibilities is to go into the election united. We are doing everything possible to make sure all our members and leaders in Ondo State come together.
“I do not have an atom of doubt that Ondo will soon come under the PDP. We are not afraid of competition, we will highlight all the desirable features of our candidate.
“The election of Oct. 10 is about choice between poverty and economic recovery. It is between stagnation and progress. It is a choice between continued hardship and prosperity.
“The PDP is presenting the people of Ondo State the right choice. We are not asking INEC for favour. We are only asking that they do their work,” Makinde said.
He urged the people of Ondo state to take their destiny into their hands and elect Jegede to deliver the dividends of democracy to them.
On his part, Jegede, who appreciated the party national leaders and all stakeholders, expressed optimism that the election would be won by the PDP.
He pledged that his administration, if elected, would offer a new revolutionary government and return government to the people of the state.
Jegede sought the support of all the stakeholders in the state to ensure his victory at the poll. (NAN)
OBE/CCN/SOA
