Kogi Poll: Isa, Alfa, Onukaba Withdraw from Race

Posted by admin Kogi, State News Friday, September 23rd, 2011

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election in Kogi State, took a turn for the worse Thursday, when four of the aspirants vying for the position opted out at the twilight of the election.

The aspirants, who withdrew from the governorship primary include Alhaji Jibrin Isah; former Special Assistant to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Media, Dr. Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo; Air Vice Marshal Isaac Alfa and Air Vice Marshal Salihu Atawodi. THISDAY gathered that their withdrawal was hinged on allegations that the delegates’ congress was fraught with irregularities.

The exit of the aspirants, THISDAY gathered, however, left the trio of Alhaji Abdulrazaq Isa Kutepa, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Philip Salawu, and Captain Idris Wada in the race.
The aspirants expressed grievances over the alleged substitution of virtually all the names on the delegates list, which they argued, would not guarantee credible election.

Alfa, who had earlier on Wednesday, told newsmen that he had opted out of the race, claimed the promises made by the party’s leadership in the state that the election would be free and fair were only to deceive the people.

He said this was because “the selection of ad-hoc delegates which constitutes over 70 per cent of delegates who are to vote in the primary was not free and fair.”

Similarly, Adinoyi who addressed newsmen yesterday, while the delegates’ accreditation started, said he decided to boycott the election because he was sure that the primary would not be free and fair.
He also stressed that participating despite a court injunction stopping the primaries would amount to illegality.

According to him, the delegate congress election that was held throughout the state was a “charade” especially in the central senatorial district where he said there was no delegates’ election, “people just sat down and wrote names of those that are loyal to some
party leaders.

Also, Isah who denied being behind the court injunction that purportedly stops the PDP primary joined the league of aspirants boycotting the election on account of alleged irregularities.

Meanwhile, the party’s Secretary, Dekina Local Government Area, Hon. Damadu Attah, who spoke with THISDAY, protested the names of delegates that emerged from the ward
congresses conducted in the LGA have been changed.

“I can assure you that 99.99 per cent of the names on the list have been changed. In fact, I am sure that if I am not a statutory delegate my name may have been substituted.”
Damadu, however, said he was ready to seek legal action to redress the anomaly.

-ThisDaywp_posts