Sweeping FCT Council polls victory signals our triumph in 2023 ― PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed its sweeping victory in the three strategic area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in last Saturday’s local elections, as a clear demonstration of the determination by Nigerians to return the main opposition party to power in 2023.

The party flipped the Chairmanship seat of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) from the All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as retained Bwari and Kuje Area Councils.

It also led the APC with 44 councillorship seats as against the ruling party’s 18 seats in the poll.

A statement issued by Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP National Publicity Secretary on Tuesday, noted that the three area councils are melting pots of Nigerians from all sections across the nation irrespective of political, ethnic, cultural, religious, class, professional or age affiliations.

It added: “The crushing rejection of the incompetent, corrupt and vicious APC in the three area councils, therefore, represents the collective will, feeling and aspiration of the generality of Nigerians in the national consensus to do away with the APC and return the PDP to power at the centre in 2023.

“In electing the PDP to superintend over the Abuja Municipal Area Council, which is at the core of the FCT, Nigerians have firmly established their resolve to completely oust the APC from governance by 2023 to enable them to have a new lease of life.

“Nigerians are however aware of the manipulation of the APC to rig and muscle votes in the three other councils namely; Gwagwalada, Abaji and Kwali Area Councils where the will of the people was trampled upon.

“Official figures show that the PDP won more councillorship seats, leading the APC with cumulative 44 councillorship seats as against APC’s 18 seats. In Gwagwalada and Kwali Area Councils respectively, the PDP led with 6 councillorship seats against APC’s 4 seats while the two parties won 5 seats apiece in Kwali Area Council.

“The councillorship seat results validate evidence of manipulation in favour of the APC in the Chairmanship elections in Gwagwalada, Kwali and Abaji Area Councils. The PDP is studying the results for appropriate action in that regard.

“Nevertheless, the PDP commends Nigerians as represented in the FCT Area Council election results for their resilience in the fight to liberate our nation from misrule.”

The PDP also commended all its members and teeming supporters in the FCT, urging all Nigerians to continue to work together on the platform of the party “in the resolve to Rescue and Rebuild our nation from the stranglehold of the APC.”

The PDP has also strongly condemned what it called the unrelenting onslaught of the Buhari-led APC government against Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, the latest it said, being the decision to lock the governor out of the Makurdi Airforce base where he had gone, upon formal invitation, to receive Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday.

The Party described the action as another vicious attempt by the APC to embarrass, harass, unsettle Ortom and “sustain the terrorization of the people of Benue State in the desperation to sequester their constitutional and ancestral heritage.”

Ologunagba said in a separate statement on Tuesday: “It is instructive to note that Governor Ortom, upon formal invitation cancelled his official engagements to accord the Vice President, who landed at the Makurdi Airforce Base en route Taraba State the necessary respect in line with protocols applicable to the office, only for the governor to be denied access into the Airforce Base to meet the Vice President.

“The Buhari Presidency cannot deny involvement in this pre-meditated and provocative act because all arms of the Armed Forces, including the Airforce are under the authority and control of the Commander-in-Chief, who is the head of the Executive arm to which the Vice President also belongs.

“Such orchestrated action against a democratically elected governor of a State by an organ of the Federal Government which is directly under the control of the Commander-in-Chief is to say the least reprehensible. It is an unpardonable assault on our democracy, national unity and peaceful co-existence in our country.”

The PDP dismissed “the belated apologies by Vice President Osinbajo and the excuse of communication gap as an afterthought.”

The party added: “Moreover, the reported suspension of an officer over the despicable act is an attempt to pull the wool in the face of Nigerians, consistent with the action of the APC in matters requiring transparency and independent public enquiry.

“It is obvious that this assault on Governor Ortom is because he has become a thorn in the flesh for the Buhari-led administration given his principled stand on the inhuman and life-discounting stance of the APC administration against the people of Benue State, particularly its failure to protect them from mass killing by marauders, terrorists and known assailants as well as the ill-treatment to internally displaced persons in Benue State.

“Nigerians can recall how officials of the APC-led Federal government have been confronting, harassing, insulting and issuing disrespectful press statements against Governor Ortom for insisting on the rights and security of the people of Benue State under our Federal Structure and Constitutional Democracy.

“The public can also recall the several attempts made on Governor Ortom’s life which remain unresolved despite assurances by the Federal Government to bring the culprits to book.

“Moreover, there are already apprehensions in Benue State that locking Governor Ortom out of the Airforce Base was ostensibly a plot to undermine security around the governor, orchestrate restiveness, place him in harm’s way and blame the outcome on hoodlums.

“Our party, therefore, demands an immediate public investigation to unravel the real brains behind the action against the governor as well as ensure that such desecration of public office is not encouraged or condoned.

“The APC administration must learn to understand and respect our democratic values and tenets. Instead of always trying to intimidate Governor Ortom, this administration should assure the people by taking steps to address their concerns as Governor Ortom and the Benue people can never be subdued by intimidation and harassment.”

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