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The National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned the withdrawal of some of its chairmanship candidates from the forthcoming Abuja area council elections.
The PDP described the development as shameful and without the consent of the party.
In a statement issued on Friday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP said it received the news of the candidates’ withdrawal “with utter dismay,” insisting that the action was anti-democratic and unacceptable.
The party stated that democracy thrives on competitive electoral contests and not what it described as “forced or induced consensus,” alleging that the withdrawals reflect a troubling trend in the build-up to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, local council polls.
The PDP further accused certain individuals it claimed were parading themselves as party leaders of attempting to compromise the party’s independence for the benefit of the President.
It alleged that the withdrawals were part of a broader agenda to weaken opposition within the party ahead of future elections.
According to the statement, such actions were among the reasons the affected individuals were previously expelled from the party as part of efforts to rebuild a strong opposition capable of contesting for power in 2027.
“As sad as this development is, it is a pointer to the type of voodoo democracy promoted by those parading as leaders of the PDP, whose only interest is to ‘hold’ the party for the President.
“This is a exactly what they intended to do to Nigerians, when close to the Presidential elections, they can compel, induce or cajole all the other candidates to step down or withdraw for the President to have a smooth sail back to Aso Rock Villa, despite the abysmal performance of his administration,” parts of the statement read.
