The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State Chapter, has announced its withdrawal from the January 18, 2025, Local Government elections, citing alleged lack of credibility, transparency, and impartiality by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC).
In a statement released on Wednesday, the party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Leye Igbabo, disclosed that the decision to pull out was made after extensive consultations involving party leaders, stakeholders, and the National Secretariat.
According to Igbabo, the PDP had initially fielded 15 chairmanship candidates across 15 Local Government Areas and 131 councillorship candidates. However, recent observations and reports revealed what the party described as "a troubling pattern of double standards" by ODIEC, casting doubt on the commission's capacity to conduct a credible election.
"As a responsible political party committed to democracy and the rule of law, we cannot, in good conscience, confer legitimacy on this compromised process by participating in the election," the statement read.
The party expressed concerns over ODIEC’s perceived bias, noting that its credibility has "failed the integrity test." It further emphasized the PDP's unwavering commitment to credible electoral practices and its determination to sanitize the electoral process in Ondo State.
This development is expected to further heat up the political atmosphere in Ondo State, as the January 18 polls draw closer. Efforts to get a reaction from ODIEC were unsuccessful as of press time.
