Some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in Ondo State have openly opposed the party’s withdrawal from the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2025.
On Thursday, the PDP announced its withdrawal from the elections, citing a lack of confidence in the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC).
The party accused the commission of bias and alleged that the electoral process would not be free or fair.
Henzodaily had earlier reported that the PDP, in a statement released by the Director of Media and Publicity, Leye Igbabo announced its decision to withdraw from the election.
The statement reads, “Our party fielded 15 chairmanship candidates in 15 local government areas and 131 councillorship candidates. But from all indications, ODIEC’s credibility, transparency, and impartiality have failed the integrity test.
“Recent observations and reports point to a troubling pattern of double standards by ODIEC, raising serious doubts about their ability to conduct a free, fair, and credible election. As a responsible political party committed to democracy and the rule of law, we can not, in good conscience, confer legitimacy on this compromised process by participating in the election.
“We have, therefore, resolved to withdraw our participation in this exercise to uphold the integrity of our party and our unwavering belief in credible electoral practices.”
The chairmanship candidate of the PDP for Akure South LGA, Tuyi Adelami and other councillorship candidates in the LG in their reaction to PDP’s directive, condemned the action of their party, saying they were not adequately consulted on the decision.
Adelami, who spoke on behalf of himself and the councillorship candidates in the council, described the action of the party as an infringement of their rights.
He said, “As aspirants, we believe in the responsibility to participate and expressed our willingness to proceed. The state chairman, Bakita Bello, granted us the go-ahead. We started our preparations, even without substantial support from the party. We printed posters, held meetings, and engaged in community sensitisation campaigns to win our voters under the PDP banner.
“However, there were rumours over the past week 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 declaring that the PDP was officially withdrawing from the elections. This decision was made without consulting us, the aspirants, which we consider an infringement on our rights.
“We invested heavily, both financially and emotionally, in this process. We paid for forms, followed all procedures, and dedicated ourselves to this election. Elections are costly, even at the local government level, and we have spent significant resources campaigning and engaging with the community.
“For the party to withdraw 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. We believe we have a strong chance of winning, with nearly 85 per cent support from the electorate. The decision to boycott the election is an aberration, an infringement of our rights, and a disservice to democracy.”