By Akinwale Kasali
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has challenged the legality of the candidacy of All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The Party is of the opinion that the legality of his sponsorship has been voided according to the 2022 Electoral Act.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Debo Ologunagba, stressed that the recent court judgment which nullified the candidate of the APC in the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, Gboyega Oyetola, could be extended to the candidacy Tinubu.
In a Press Briefing in Abuja on Saturday, Ologunagba claimed that the illegality of the role of the APC Caretaker committee Chairman, Mai Mala Buni, who also doubled as the State Governor of Zamfara State, was illegal based on Section 183 of the Electoral Act.
He said, “Mai Mala Bala was assumed to be Chairman of the APC and the laws say that if you are an executive governor you cannot double as Chairman. This has led the court to nullify the candidacy of the Governor of Osun State, Oyetola.
“The same Mai Mala Buni was the caretaker chairman that sponsored the nomination of Tinubu. We are saying that if the process that sponsored the nomination of the presidential candidate of the APC was illegal, then the nomination of Bola Tinubu is illegal, null and void.”
Ologunagba stressed that the PDP would go to a court of competent jurisdiction to establish his claim, stressing that the party had earlier advised the APC concerning the matter and had studied the recent judgment of the Oyetola case.
He, however, said, “the PDP will not announce whether we are going to court. When we want to go to court, you will know.”
When asked about the unity of the PDP, given the ongoing differences between the Wike camp and the Ayu camp, he said, “You mistake Atiku to be PDP. Atiku is a product of PDP. I understand that Nigerians are legitimately concerned for the party but reconciliation is not a 100m dash, it is a marathon.”
Ologunagba said the moves made by Atiku to reconcile Wike to the party have shown Nigerians that Atiku was a unifier.
He added. “Nigerians have accepted Atiku as a unifier, The multiple actions of the Board of Trustees, National Working Committee, and Atiku have given Nigerians reasons to trust us to bring all party members together. You will begin to see more actions. The NWC and the BoT are working. We are united, you saw that play out at the book launch of Solomon Lar.”
He added that the PDP is ready and will comply with the rules, stressing that other parties are playing catch up.
“We signed the peace accord, and Atiku was there. A party candidate did not show up. We don’t want a President by proxy.”
