By; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
The Forum of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Local Government Areas and Wards Party Executives of Borno Central Senatorial District has said that it was astonished to hear that the Senatorial Candidate of Borno Central Senatorial District, Hon. Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe who was unanimously elected by their delegates, was substituted and replaced by Hon. Mohammed Umara Kumalia by the party.
“The PDP constitution as amended is very clear on the readmission of returning members to the party and to the best of our knowledge, Hon.
Kumalia didn’t apply for waiver to contest for any elective position for our endorsement and
in our record which is sacrosanct, he has lost his seniority.
” If it is substitution, we have many who have laboured for the party in our constituency,” the chairman said.
In a statement issued and signed by the Chairman of the forum, Hon. Ahmed Tijani Yerwarima on Monday October 10, 2022 and made available to newsmen in Maiduguri, the forum said, “We have approached Hon. Tatabe and found out that he has not withdrawn his nomination as our Senatorial Candidate.”
” We are also aware that his opponent in the party’s primary held on the May 28, 2022 in the person of Alh Bukar Kachalla took him and the party to court, where the court in its wisdom, ruled in favour of Hon Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe and dismissed the case.
“A sane person must ask, can a person that withdrew his nomination follow up with keen interest to the conclusion of a court case that has to do with his nomination without abandoning it?
“We are aware of Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended, which is vividly clear that, “a candidate may withdraw his/her nomination by notice in writingsigned by him and shall be delivered personally by him/her to the political party that nominated him/her.
“Suffice to say section 29(1) of the Electorate Act 2022 as amended states that every political party shall, not later than 180 days before the date appointed for a general election under this Act, submit to the commission, in the prescribed forms, the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections, who must have emerged from valid primaries conducted by the political party.
“The originators of this Act are aware of the clandestine maneuvers of our political parties, hence the amendment to forestall such actions, The primary must be monitored by INEC.
“It is imperative to put the records straight. We are not aware of any Senatorial party primary conducted in our constituency except the one held on the 28/5/22 that produced Hon. Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe as the Senatorial Candidate of BornoCentral Senatorial district.
“It is apparent to view that such impunity which subsists in other political parties is equally manifesting under the current leadership of our great party. We had great expectations from the national leadership of the party but to our dismay it proves us wrong.
“We are an opposition party that desires to takeover power fromthe ruling party; if impunity exists in our party nobody will vote for us in the fourth coming election.
“The voters are wise you cannot impose a candidate on them. We are therefore informing the world that we are not aware of any party primary conducted in our constituency that produced the purported Hon Kumalia andaccordingly we are not part of it,” the statement added
The party LGA Chairmen of MMC, Jere, Mafa, Konduga, Bama, Dikwa, Kala Balge, and Gamboru Ngala were all signatories to the press release issued.
