A group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi state, has urged the party leadership and the PDP Governors’ Forum to drop incumbent governor, Idris Wada, as the flag bearer of the party in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
The group, PDP Concerned Group, in a nine-page petition to the party’s national secretariat and the party’s governors’ forum, said Mr. Wada’s candidacy would bring defeat to the party at the election.
According to Premium Times, the group said Mr. Wada, has performed woefully as a result of ill health and that Kogi people would be reluctant to hand him another tenure.
The group said PDP’s loss in recent elections was as a result of the inability to field credible candidate by the party.
The petition was signed by five members of the PDP Concerned Group; Husseni Idris, Mohammed Bello, Taiye Oshadare, Emanuel Sani and Ishaya Yusuf.
“Our party would have won convincingly and retained power in states like Benue Plateau, Adamawa, Niger and even Kwara state, and some other states if only we fielded more acceptable candidates for the said elections,” the petitioners said.
“If PDP loses in the forthcoming gubernatorial polls, the morale of many party faithful in this state will drop, and many might decamp to other parties.”
The group said the loss of the PDP in Dekina Local Government Area, where governor Wada hails from, in the last National Assembly elections as a clear indication that the people has lost faith in governor Wada.
It stated nonpayment of salaries, infrastructural decay and stagnation of government projects, amongst others were the reasons for failure in recent elections.
The petition also highlighted that the PDP primaries in the state is at risk of being manipulated by the governor to favour his ambition.
The petition alleged that during the state’s ward congress, the governor bribed some party leaders with the sum of N2 million each, in addition to the exquisite treatment accorded them during the congress.
The petitioners did not provide any evidence to back the allegation.
The group urged the leadership of the PDP to investigate, and take urgent steps to save the party from going into extinction in the state.
However, Special Adviser to the Governor Wada on media and strategy, Jacob Edi, in a reaction, said the group has no locus to speak for the people of Kogi state.
“First of all, the group in question has no monopoly in speaking for the people of Kogi state.”
“Also, just as they are saying the PDP will lose if Governor Wada contests; there are other groups that have also said that the only alternative for the PDP will be the emergence of Wada as the party’s flag-bearer.”
“They include: the Kogi State Elders Forum, students, market women, okada riders and others.”
He added that the reason for the group’s statement is malice, but noted that “In politics you can’t have everyone on your side”.
