FCT Polls: We Didn’t Permit Our Candidates To Withdraw From Race – Turaki-led PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Taninu Turaki, has denied authorizing its candidates in Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) elections to withdraw and support the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.

The party described the act as shameful and reflective of the intentions of the national caretaker committee backed by the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 election.

In a space of 24 hours and less than 72 hours to the election, PDP chairmanship candidate for AMAC, Zadna Dantani, and his counterpart in Bwari council, Julius Adamu, stepped down for the APC candidates.
The two candidates said they withdrew from the race after the intervention of the FCT minister, Wike, a PDP member who serves in the APC-led federal cabinet.
Reacting however, the National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the National Working Committee of the Party was utterly dismayed by the news of the withdrawal or stepping down of some Chairmanship Candidates of the Party from the Saturday elections.

“This action is anti-democratic in every sense and is hereby totally condemned by the Party. Democracy thrives on healthy electoral contests, not forced or induced melodramatic consensus, as currently witnessed in the build-up to the FCT local council elections.

“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 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.

“It was for ignoble, reckless and shameless acts like these that we excommunicated them from our party, in order to rebuild a strong opposition party, prepared for a struggle to return to power by 2027.

“Furthermore, voters should go to the polls prepared to protect their votes and ensure that Presiding Officers transmit Form EC8A immediately after announcing the result at the polling unit, the party spokesman said.

End.