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By Myke Agunwa
The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the results from the just concluded bye-election will be replicated in 2027.
The PDP also described as unfounded the rumour some elements within its fold will hold a pararrel national convention in Abuja, insisting that the once dominant party remains is united.
The ruling party, declared winner of 12 out of the 16 constituency bye-election, conducted last Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had boasted that the result is a foretaste of what will happen in the 2027 general election.
However, PDP in a press conference by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba on Tuesday dismissed the victory being claimed by APC. It alleged that some PDP members were held hostage and whisked away to unknown location during the election.
According to him, “Election is credible and important when people participate in the process and there are no reports of people being locked up and all that.
“Then contrast that to what happened in Kaduna State. On the night to that election, prominent members of PDP were arrested.
“Flip over to Taraba State, prominent members, including elected members of our party were arrested. We don’t call that an election. And we’ve heard about the arrogance of the APC, that what they’ve done with those elections is a test for 2007”.
The PDP said that 2027 election will be a different ballgame as the people will vote against insecurity, hunger, hardship and poverty.
He said, “I have a bad news for APC. What happened in those bye-election, that they call election, it will not happen in 2007. Why? The reason is that Nigerian people are wiser. They are hurting. What will be on the ballot in 2007 will be the hunger, will be the uncertainty, will be the insecurity that no money can purchase.
“Only last week, in my little village, the chairman of my party was kidnapped. Now it is so sad that when people get kidnapped in this country, you don’t even talk to police. They will say, go and look for the money. It sounds like a new normal. That’s what will be on the ballot.
“Nigerian people will defeat them because they brought hunger to this country. For more than 10 years now, APC had been a point of pain to Nigeria.
“In the previous administration of President Buhari, what did they tell us? They told us they have intervention in agriculture, right? And they demonstrated by creating a wooden frame somewhere towards the airport, and they call it pyramid of rice. It turned out to be pyramid of lies”.
The PDP spokesperson reiterated the resolve of the party hold a national convention that billed for November 15-16, 2025 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
On the level of preparedness for the big event, the publicity scribe, “Every organ of the party, the Board of Trustees, the Governor’s Forum, the state chapters, and all other relevant bodies, and of course, other stakeholders who are founding fathers, founding mothers, are all accommodated.
“We’re determined to make a very strong statement about the capacity of this party to organize itself, to bring itself back when there are challenges and to ensure that every organ, every party member have a sense of belonging, because we’re truly people’s democratic party.
“So it is bottom-up approach in our party. So like I said earlier, every organ of the party is involved. They are all excited. And from the momentum that we’re getting, and the feedback we’re getting from the field, it’s exciting. So we are moving on.
“And I can say to you, the party’s ready for Ibadan. We’re very ready. We are coasting on. We’re determined because this would show the capacity of PDP to stand up, to defend democracy, to do the right thing, ensuring that every interest, and every organ of the party is carried along in ensuring that Nigerians can now remember and have the opportunity again of having a party that is truly democratic, and that has the interest of the Nigerian people at heart.
“The People’s Democratic Party is ready for the national convention scheduled by NEC for Ibadan, Oyo state capital, for November 15th and 16th, November 2025”.
The party further dismissed rumour that a faction of the party led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike is planning a parallel convention in Abuja.
“We cannot be aware of a non-existing thing. As you said, these are speculation, that’s your word and that’s indeed a speculation. How do you have a national convention? There is a process and we’re a party of process indeed. And what we do is that we follow the constitution of our party.
“Interestingly, the process has started, we have been in sync with our regulator, INEC. INEC has been attending all the meetings.
“They are witnesses to all the things we’re doing. That might be a media hype, people testing the waters. In-fact it does not exist. The local organizing committee is working hard. The venue committee, they’re working already ahead of time. Even before the inauguration of those sub-committees, they’re already working. And we’re methodical in the things we do.
“So it’s in the realm of conjecture probably. I think it would be in the realm of hallucination. And this train has moved on. It’s gone past the bus stop. We’re actually in Ibadan, as I speak,” he said.