The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), has distanced itself from a fresh primary election conducted by a group loyal to one of the party’s governorship aspirants in Ogun State, Jimi Lawal, saying it doesn’t recognise Lawal and others.
The NWC, in a letter sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and signed by the National Chairman and Secretary, Iyorchia Ayu and Senator Samuel Anyanwu respectively, described a factional primary which produced Lawal and others as illegal. The disclaimer letter dated 19th October was received by the office of the Chairman of INEC on the 20th of October 2022
Lawal had on Monday, emerged as a factional candidate of the Party in Ogun State, after a primary conducted at an event centre in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. Him and others involved in the primary were promptly suspended from the party and a disciplinary committee was put in place to try him and others.
Recall that an Abeokuta Federal High Court had on September 27 nullified all the primary elections earlier held by the PDP which produced Ladi Adebutu as the candidate of the Party. The court ordered the Party to conduct a fresh primary within 14 days. Dissatisfied with the judgement, the PDP NWC said it would appeal the judgement, while a stay of execution filed before the same court was dismissed.
The NWC wondered why Jimi Lawal went ahead to conduct a primary without the approval of the NWC which is mandated, according to the Party’s Constitution, to do so. It alleged that Lawal and others arrogate to themselves powers of the national body of the party by writing INEC and holding the so-called primary election.
The Party quoted its Constitution, which empowers the NWC to nominate candidates for elections. It also called the attention of the electoral umpire to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, saying, “The Act provides that all correspondence between the Commission and political parties must be signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the party and not State Executives”.
Ayu said: “We are by this letter, notifying the Commission of this illegality and to further inform the Commission that the National Working Committee is dissociating itself from the said fresh primary election conducted by persons other than the National Working Committee. We do not recognise these persons involved in this illegality.
“In view of the foregoing, the Commission is advised to refrain from accepting any letters or correspondences written on behalf of the party by any State Executive of Ogun State and should be circumspect in its dealings with these persons in the future”.
