*PDP can never collapse, says Wabara
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Barrister Kabiru Tanimu Turaki on Wednesday presented certificate of return to the party’s governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr Oluwole Oluyede, with a challenge to the other faction of the party, led Mr Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, to show its own candidate to the world.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has already fixed July 20 next year for the conduct of Ekiti State governorship election.
At the well attended certification presentation ceremony, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua centre, Abuja, Turaki, SAN, took a jibe at the faction of the party led by Wike, taunting it to present its own governorship flag bearer in Ekiti for the whole world to see.
Turaki spoke while presenting certificate of return to Dr Oluwole Oluyede who emerged the PDP candidate for the Ekiti governorship poll.
At the event, which was attended by Senators, House of Representatives members and former Governor among others, Turaki said,”I challenge anybody or a group of individuals laying claim to the leadership of the PDP to present their own candidate for the governorship election in Ekiti State for the world to see”.
While presenting the certificate to Dr Oluyede, the party chairman publicly displayed official documents with the name and logo of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) relating to the governorship candidate.
The documents included INEC’s attestation and certification of the primary election from which Oluyede emerged as PDP candidate.
He also displayed two A-4 size official envelopes in INEC colours and logo, which he said were provided by the electoral body for the purposes of packaging documents relating to Oluyede’s candidature.
Addressing Oluyede, the chairman said, “Take this form and envelope. They are from INEC. You must fill this form and bring it back to us so that we can return it to INEC as required by law.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Party, Senator Aldophus Wabara assured members that PDP can never collapse, regardless of what ever challenge it may be facing currently.
According to Wabara, “PDP can never collapse. Anybody who wants to join PDP should do so now”
Shortly after receiving his certificate, Oluyede thanked the leadership for support and pledged to deliver Ekiti for the PDP.
He extended a hand of fellowship to some of his opponents who have challenged his victory in court, saying that there can only be one candidate.
“Court cases are a distraction that sends the wrong signals to members of the public. There can only be one candidate and today, that candidate happens to be me. Tomorrow, it could be you,” he said
The party’s National Secretary, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, while giving a vote of thanks, said the PDP will not take the support of the Nigerian people for granted.
Arapaja dismissed the claim by a former Ekiti Governor, Ayo Fayose, that PDP is dead, pointing out the irony in the claim. Fayose is a member of the PDP faction loyal to Wike.
“Some people said the PDP is dead, but they are still fighting to take over the party. If the PDP is dead, why then are they fighting over a party they said is dead? If the PDP is dead, why are they fighting over a dead party?, Arapaja said.
He restated the party’s decision to retrieve its mandates from governors and federal and state legislators who defected to the APC.
His words, “We will go after these people who traded our mandates for a pot of porridge. We will retrieve our mandates from them”.
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