By; IBRAHIM ADAMU, Kaduna
A political analyst Kabiru Tsafe has hinted that dissatisfied aspirants who were edged out of primary elections of people’s Democratic Party (PDP) by new members across Nigeria may leave the party to join forces with other political platforms.
Tsafe while reacting to disenchantments that followed the conduct of primary elections where new defectors into PDP were favoured as flagbearers over longstanding committed members by delegates and party chieftains.
He decried the role money played in influencing voting patterns of delegates at the primaries, describing it as a bad omen for the country’s democracy.
The public commentator made reference to Zamfara, Kaduna and other states where he said party loyalists of PDP who contested primary elections were abandoned at the last hour for moneybag politicians.
Taking a look at Zamfara state, he narrated that Hon. Shehu Gusau and two other PDP Guber aspirants who were shunned by delegates in favour of a new entrant who joined the party barely three days before the primary election.
” Shehu Gusau and the two aspirants had to announce their withdrawal from the race when they couldn’t stomach the injustice melted on them by the party they have expended so much energy and money to sustain while Dauda Lawal Dare was busy in APC criticizing and plotting against PDP.
” This development is sad, pathetic, annoying and against every sense of decorum, justice and fairness, especially for a party wishing to take over power at the centre, ” he said .
The political pundit stated that politicians who bought their way to power would not work for the electorate, attributing the sad development to backwardness of Nigerian democracy, which he noted after decades had failed to make positive impacts on the masses.
Speaking further, Tsafe blamed delegates for breeding and bringing up corrupt and unprincipled politicians whose only motive to seek public offices was to fatten their purses.
A development he predicted would cast a doom on the opposition party in its quest to snatch power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
” It is a sad moment for the growth and development of our democracy seeing delegates who should have looked out for credible aspirants that would make positive impacts and deliver dividends of democracy to doorsteps of the masses.
” But were busy looking for the highest bidder to cast their votes for as if politics were a big auction field meant for briefcase businessmen and prospectors to bid, pay and take home their merchandise.
” It could be recalled that, Dauda Lawal Dare allegedly announced his entering into the PDP on Sunday and by Wednesday the primary election was held and registered in to the party at around 3.30am on the day of the primary election.
” You can find such abnormalities in country as Nigeria where anything goes”.
“Another pathetic scenario was how a House of Reps hopeful, a dedicated and committed party loyalist who has stood with PDP in rain and shine was betrayed by his party because of one Samaila Suleiman who defected from APC when he saw that the party had made up its mind to give his ticket to the son of Governor Nasir el-Rufai.
” He came into PDP barely few weeks before the primary election and splashed money, cars and other gifts on party Chieftains and delegates to smoothen his way up.
” I thought he would be disappointed and be taught a bitter lesson he will live to remember for the rest of his life by the delegates who would go for integrity, loyalty, respect, trust and commit but alas, they went for personal financial advantage over the future of their children.
” This unpatriotic and greedy attitude has played out across the federation and if left unchecked would truncate our hard-earned democracy,” he counselled.
