By; IBRAHIM ADAMU, Kaduna
Concerned groups of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), under the aegis of Opposition Minders (OM) have cautioned leadership of the party to side with justice by allowing the judiciary and the will of people to override individual interest or face possibility of losing the chance to participate in the forthcoming 2023 Senatorial Election of Kaduna Central Zone.
Coordinator of OM, Musa Birnin-Gwari in a press statement, expressed fears over what he described as undue prolonging of the case instituted by one of the contenders who felt shortchanged in the party’s primary election.
Birnin-Gwari in the statement, accused counsel to the defendant of unnecessarily prolonging the legal tussle, he noted, should have been concluded long time ago and justice served to the deserving aspirant.
He stated that the motive for delaying judgement by the defendant’s lawyers could be the fear that their client may have lost the court case because of a clear evidence of over-voting and other Irregularities associated with the conduct of the primary election, which according to him wrongfully ascribed victory to Lawal Adamu popularly known as Mr. LA. at the detriment of Hon. Usman Ibrahim popularly called Sardaunan Badarawa.
He added that Sardaunan Badarawa should have been winner of the primary due to his financial and moral contributions to growth and development of PDP in Kaduna State.
The PDP Group said Sardaunan Badarawa would easily defeat candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in a free and fair general election due to his popularity amongst voters in all seven Local govts in Zone ll.
The concerned group coordinator made reference to a correspondence signed by Iyorchia Ayu and Samuel Anyanwu, Chairman and Secretary respectively, sent to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) informing the umpire of the decision of the party to hold a fresh primary election in Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone.
” The party affirmed in the letter after serious investigation arrived that there was indeed an over-voting in the said primary election which declared Mr. LA the winner and set Saturday June 4 for a rescheduled exercise.
” To our astonishment the exercise was called off at the last minute after officials of our great party, INEC, the Police, DSS and other stakeholders were at venue of the primary election.
” The develpment was even more embarrassing to prof. Muhammed Abubakar who was the chairman of the five member electoral committee saddled with responsibility of conducting a fresh primary who received appointment letters from the party headquarters and prepared for the election only to be told to call it off.
” Our worries are further heightened from what has played out in Adamawa where court barred APC from taking part in 2023 Governorship Election and the antecedents of Zamfara and other states where parties had a similar situation due to lack of internal democracy associate with conduct of primaries.
” We are passionate about our party wining the contest in Kaduna Central Senatorial Election next year thus our concerns and calls to our party leadership to allow Justice take its legit course,” he appealed.
Birnin-Gwari enjoined the presiding Judge on the matter, Justice Muhammad Garba Umar to timely adjudicate justice by giving his verdict in accordance with facts presented before him and above all in consonance with the rule, party constitution and Electoral Acts.
” The Justice Umar has a pure pedigree in electoral jurisprudence and clean antecedents in dispensing of justice and fairness to all disputing parties who have come before his temple.
” We are optimistic he shall as well replicate his previous commendable dispensation of justice and objectivity on this case, so he could write his name once again in gold,” he said.
