Crisis rocks Kogi PDP over automatic ticket

THE crisis is brewing in the Kogi state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the alleged proposal of automatic tickets for returning National Assembly members towards the 2019 general election.

Already, the development has led to intraparty disputes with many of the senatorial aspirants and stakeholders kicking against the decision in the state.

Apart from the aspirants and stakeholders, youth groups and other associations within the party have raised eyebrows over the development.

Among the groups that have expressed their displeasure over the move was the PDP Youths and Masses Advocacy Group, Kogi state, which declared the decision as impunity.

The state coordinator of the group, Ahmed Suleiman, on Friday, said failure to adhere to a level playing ground in the state primaries would lead to the mass exodus from the party.

Sulieman said, “As a group with a firm believe in the ideals and manifestoes of our great party, the peoples democratic party, PDP, We stand to condemn any act of impunity that will likely give rise to imposition.

“The idea of an automatic ticket to representatives whose state the party is not having a governor is clearly and totally unacceptable. Any attempt at enforcing such will surely lead to the Mass exodus and the eventual collapse of the party at all level.

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“Also, a kangaroo primary in whatever form would be vehemently resisted. Let the people decide, the people own the party and not those leading the party. The stand of the Mass of people in the party supersedes all. The founding fathers of the party never contemplated automatic slot, if so, they would not have named it “PEOPLE’S” party.

“We are a party trying to bounce back from an electoral defeat at the national level, an appraisal shows that impunity was a major factor that led to our failure, that impunity we would never tolerate any more, we shall resist it with the blood flowing in our veins.

“We maintain that a level playing ground be enabled, let the popularity of all the aspirants guarantee them to victory, equally too, those incumbents seeking for a return tickets, let their scorecard or stewardship endear them to the people and not shifting the goal post in a manner to favour one aspirant or the other.