Aspirants for various elective positions in Kogi
State have warned the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, to be mindful of giving automatic
tickets to serving elective office holders,
saying doing so would not augur well for the
party in the 2019 general elections.
Addressing a press conference, yesterday, in
Abuja, an aspirant seeking the party’s ticket to
run for Kogi East Senatorial seat, Barrister
Halima Alfa, who spoke on behalf of 29 other
aspirants, said there was a ploy by the National
Working Committee, NWC, of the party to
conduct pre-determined primaries where their
“anointed candidates” would be declared
winners.
Barrister Alfa, specifically, claimed that the
party had resolved to give automatic tickets to
serving senators and House of Representatives
members on a right of first refusal to the
exclusion of other aspirants, adding that as
members of the party, such move would be
resisted
She said: “Having been consistent party men
and women who have paid all party dues,
expended huge financial resources to purchase
Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms,
it will be against the guidelines of the party, it
will offend the spirit of internal democracy, it
will contravene the Constitution as well as the
Electoral Act for the party’s leadership under
whatever guise, to arrange a pre-determined or
manipulated primary.”
“Senator Dino Melaye met with all the local
government executives of the seven Local
Government Areas that make up Kogi West on
Friday, and boasted that organs of the party
had resolved to give the ticket to him, being a
serving senator decampee into the party
regardless of the interest, aspiration, eligibility
and qualification of other aspirants,” she added.
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