Wonders, indeed, shall never cease. While Nigerians are being made to believe that the Peoples Democratic Party allows a level playing ground for all political aspirants within its fold, perhaps a little is known by the public that what is actually going on in the party is a glaring case of sheer imposition of candidates at virtually all levels of political contest which is apparently driven and sustained by a seemingly unprecedented increase in the rate of bribery and corruption. This is at the moment the terrible fate playing itself out in no other place than Niger state.
Findings indicate that certain individuals close to the Niger State government plan to influence the ruling of an Abuja Federal High Court in a suit challenging the result of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in the state. A source claimed that the government officials plan to approach the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, with an offer of as much as N200 million not to remove the governor's preferred candidate for governorship in the state. The source however added that "the judge is known to have an incorruptible pedigree and integrity which cannot be compromised."
The judge had on Monday summoned the PDP to appear to show cause why it should not be restrained from submitting the name of Alhaji Umar Nasko as governorship candidate for Niger State. A PDP governorship aspirant Engr Mu'azu Hanafi Sarkin Sudan had through his counsel Chukwuma Ekomaru (SAN) challenged the 908 votes which were cast for Nasko at the primary of the party which took place on December 8. Those joined in the suit are the PDP National Chairman Ahmadu Adamu Mu'azu, National Secretary Prof Wole Oladipo and the Independant National Electoral Commission (INEC). The governor's lawyers led by Ayodeji Ayodele, a senior advocate of Nigeria, are calling for witnesses to be presented in court.
But be that as it may, it is now imperative for all parties in the PDP gubernatorial contest to eschew acts capable undermining our democracy as well as our judicial system. Hence the PDP is hereby called upon to stop strangulating our hard earned democracy and democratization process. Please allow the will of the people to prevail!
Onyiorah Paschal writes from Abuja via [email protected] (08037738607).