1st November, 2011
Hope of a speedy resolution of the crisis that engulfed the Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party following the outcome of the 23rd September primary election which threw up Capt Idris Wada as the party’s flag bearer for the scheduled December 3rd Governorship election appears to be misplaced if pronouncements by Alhaji Jibrin Isah Echocho is anything to go by.
Isah, the winner of the party’s earlier primary election held in January, who lost out in a bid to get an Abuja High Court to restrain the party from substituting his candidacy with that of Wada, on Tuesday in Abuja, stated that he is still the authentic flag bearer of the party in the state.
Echocho’s assertion was contained in a statement signed by his media consultant, Mr. Phrank Shaibu which was made available to P.M.NEWS in Abuja.
The statement reads,”We wish to state quite frankly that Alhaji Jibrin Isah Echocho is not emotionally disturbed; he is not physically worried and not socially destabilised. We therefore call on all our supporters in every nook and cranny of Kogi State to be steadfast since the process to reclaim our stolen mandate had been stepped up by the case at the Federal High Court, Abuja which also came up for definite hearing on Monday 31st October, 2011.
“By the provisions of the electoral guidelines for Primary elections 2010 of the PDP which is still in force and with particular reference to article 23 in part iv, his nomination remains sacrosanct and untampered with as he(Jibrin Isah) is alive,has not withdrawn from the PDP and indeed remains an active member and he is not in any way incapacitated.
“It is instructive to refer to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010(as amended) and the provisions of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) wherein no provisions either expressly or by implications are found stating that nomination of a candidate for an election lapses where for any unforeseen circumstances the date of an election is shifted by a reason of supervening event as in Kogi State where the date of the election had to be shifted by the reason of the court’s decision on the tenure of the incumbent Governor. Once again, Capt Wada is not the PDP candidate for Kogi State as no court has declared him so. Our victory can only be delayed, but we shall recover it in full measure. We shall lead our people according to their will and mandate, which we hold sacrosanct.”
The embattled governorship aspirant called on his supporters not to relent in their support for him and urged them to sustain the struggle with more energy and faith.
The Abuja High Court had on Monday held that it lacked the territorial jurisdiction to adjudicate in the suit brought by Isah seeking to reclaim his stolen mandate as the authentic gubernatorial candidate for the PDP in Kogi State.
In his ruling, Justice Aladetoyinbo held that the said primaries was held in Lokoja, Kogi State and not Abuja and therefore it lacked territorial jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
By Nnamdi Felix/Abuja