Prince Uche Secondus, PDP National Chairman

Kogi People’s Democratic Party, PDP Vanguard for Internal Democracy, VID has called on the National Working Committee, NWC of the party to disregard the alarm of an impplosion raised by an interest group over the chances of some aspirants in the fast approaching gubernatorial primaries of the party. The group’s position is contained in a statement signed by it’s Coordinator James Audu and made available to journalists in Lokoja today.

An interest group in the party Kogi PDP Concerned Professional had in a statement yesterday advised the NWC to persuade three leading aspirants to withdraw from the race because of their personal bickerings and in order to pave the way for less popular aspirants. The leading aspirants it wants out of contention are Ex-governor Idris Wada, his younger brother Engr Musa Wada and Abubakar Ibrahim son of former governor Ibrahim Idris.

But in a swift reaction, VID cautioned against forcing aspirants to withdraw from a competition all because of alleged personal scuffles. The group noted that such extreme measures will kill the mechanism for internal democracy and amount to impunity.

“What our party should encourage is heathy competition to strengthen internal democracy and not impunity as being canvassed by the alarmists. Long as an aspirant is legally qualified and morally fit to contest and has been cleared to contest an election by the appropriate Screening Committee, his fate can only be decided by the delegates. Not wolf criers. The position being canvassed by them is strange to our party. It is not known to the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.

What should be Paramount to our party members, delegates and leaders should be how to make the electoral process flawless and credible. Not how to swim in murky waters. The NWC should work at committing all aspirants whether leading or fringe to queueing behind the party flag after primaries. This is possible. Any one afraid of heathy contest, should withdraw from the race or switch support to a leading candidate instead of heating up the atmosphere. No underdog should dream of snatching victory from the rear using below the belt tactics. It won’t work,” The statement added.