The main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described the sponsorship of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, as illegal, which was voided by the 2022 Electoral Act.
The PDP made this known on Saturday through its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
Recall that a Federal High Court had nullified the nomination of Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State as the governorship candidate of the APC in the July 16, 2022 election.
The court nullified Oyetola and his deputy’s nomination on the ground that Governor Mai Mala Buni who submitted their names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) violated the provisions of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Some leaders and members of the APC had expressed fear that the ruling party’s presidential bid could run into troubled waters soon following the judgment by a high court.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Ologunagba said the recent court judgment that nullified Oyetola’s candidacy could be extended to the candidacy of Tinubu.
According to the PDP spokesperson, the illegality of the role of the APC Caretaker committee, 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.”
However, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) member refused to disclose if the party would e heading to the court to challenge Tinubu’s nomination.
“The PDP will not announce whether we are going to court. When we want to go to court, you will know,” Ologunagba stated.
Wike vs Ayu
On the crisis rocking the PDP over Governor Nyesom Wike of River State’s demand for the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, 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.”
Oloogunagba 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.”
