Our people-given mandate stands – PDP

replies Edeoga, Nweke

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Enugu State Campaign Council has dismissed the statements by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate, Mr. Frank Nweke, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, deprecating the outcome of the 2023 governorship election in the state, insisting that the people of Enugu State rose above clan, religious denomination, and party divides to elect the PDP candidate, Dr. Peter Mbah, as the best-prepared for the job.

The Campaign Council said if any party should complain bitterly, it was indeed the PDP, which was manifestly rigged out in several local government areas where the election was militarised against their supporters, despite being the ruling party.

The PDP said it was instructive that neither Nweke nor Edeoga uttered a word of condemnation when LP’s senator-elect for Enugu North senatorial district,

Taraba PDP appoints Bawa as chairman

By Musa Baba

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba State has appointed Abubakar Bawa, as the new chairman of the Party.

Before his appointment, Bawa was the Special Adviser on political matters to the State Governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku.

Bawa took over the party’s mantle of leaders on Friday from the Acting Chairman, Inuwa Bakari.

Chief Okey Ezea, openly declared the governorship election a “door-die” affair in a viral video and also urged the youths to prepare themselves for the planned onslaught against the PDP.

The party spoke in Enugu through the Director of Communications/Spokesperson of the Campaign Council, Nana Ogbodo, on Friday.

Enugu guber: We won’t allow illegitimate victory, APGA’s Nweke vows

By Christiana Ekpa

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in last Saturday’s governorship election in Enugu State, Mr. Frank Nweke has rejected the declaration of Barr. Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the winner of the polls.

Nweke, who came third in the election, behind Barr. Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party, said the exercise was fraught with irregularities.

While describing the election as an assault on democracy, the APGA candidate said he would explore all legal means to ensure that a legitimate government is put in place in the state.

He said the election witnessed a multitude of infringements on the people’s democratic process democratic and an assault on their desires and hope for a great state.

Nweke accused both the PDP and LP of engaging in vote- buying the elections, alleging that votes were bought for as low as N2,000 and a plate of rice.

He ruled out any form of congratulatory message to the winner of the election.

“I often said during my campaign that I would offer my congratulations and best wishes to whoever emerged in a fair and transparent manner. This election was far from fair and certainly, not transparent.

“The violence, thuggery, intimidation, use of divisive sentiments, and the weaponization of poverty against our people, which the Peoples Democratic Party deployed in the course of the campaign and the elections reflect the desperation of the Party to hold on to power against the will of the people. It was never about service or the good of ndi Enugu; and the impunity with which these wicked acts were carried out is sickening.

“Very early in the morning of Saturday, March 18, town criers travelled through several communities in Enugu state ordering anyone who would not vote in favour of the People’s Democratic Party to stay home.

“The House of Assembly candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance for Udenu Constituency was attacked and almost killed on the morning of the election, while five polling units within his jurisdiction were cordoned off by police and military officers,” he said.

He further alleged that “at various polling units across the State, PDP thugs, party members, hired criminals and some compromised members of the police and military threatened voters at polling units and chased those who could not be bought over or intimidated into voting for the PDP.

“In Nsukka, voters recorded and reported gunshots at polling units allegedly instigated by the Labour Party.

“The most vulnerable and impoverished became prey to vote buying by the People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party with as little as N500 or packets of noodles in some places.

“At Udenu, both parties competed for the votes of our people with N2,000, a plate of Jollof rice, Okpa, and a bottle of soda.

“I feel ashamed that this is what our people are worth to some who seek to lead them.”

He claimed further that the PDP also secured the assistance of the INEC agents to rig the election, offering cash or issuing threats as the situation demanded.

“Only a few polling unit agents uploaded their results directly on IREV as provided by INEC, and fake result sheets were used to rewrite and manipulate the results of vote counts at the polling units before the falsified results of the elections were uploaded to the IREV. Some of these result sheets are also completely blurred on the portal.

Speaking shortly after his announcement as the party chairman, Bawa called on the party’s faithful to unite and give the much needed helping hand to the incoming governor, Agbu Kefas.

The new chairman who vowed to operate an open door policy, reiterated his commitment to carrying all the party’s members along and affirmed his readiness to work closely with the party’s executive at both the state and the national levels.

He said, “I have been a member of PDP since 1999 when the return of democracy in Nigeria, I never for once defected to any political party, I am PDP and PDP is me”.

Bawa said, “I know all the members of the party in the state, for me as the state chairman, I promise to do my best for the progress of our party and Taraba state in particular.”

Citing the just concluded general election where the Party emerged victorious in the state, PDP in Tarab, he said “have been winning the governor seat and senate” stressing that “we must remain together in order for us to bring the desired dividends of democracy to our people.”

Our Vision Our People Our Mission

“To be the market place of ideas and the leading player in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the truth, maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards while delivering value to our stakeholders”

Chief Operating Officer

Hameed M. Bello, PhD Manager, administration

Hassan Hammanyaji

Editor (A g)

Egena Sunday Ode