Kehinde Fajobi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has officially withdrawn from the upcoming Local Government (LG) elections scheduled for Saturday, January 18, 2025.
The announcement, made in a statement on Thursday in Akure by Mr. Leye Igbabo, the party’s Director of Media and Publicity in the state, cited concerns over the credibility of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC).
The PDP had fielded 15 chairmanship candidates and 131 councillorship candidates across the 18 local government areas of the state.
However, after consultations with party leaders and the national secretariat, the decision was made to pull out due to allegations of double standards by ODIEC, which raised doubts about the commission’s ability to conduct free, fair, and credible elections.
The statement read: “This decision is a product of several layers of consultations of party leaders, stakeholders and the national secretariat of our great party.
“But, from all indications, ODIEC’s credibility, transparency, and impartiality have failed the integrity test. Recent observations and reports point to a troubling pattern of double standards by ODIEC, raising serious doubts about their ability to conduct a free, fair, and credible election.”
The PDP emphasised that it is committed to upholding democracy and the rule of law, and that participating in what it considers a compromised election process would contradict the party’s principles.
“We cannot, in good conscience, confer legitimacy on a compromised process by participating in the election.
“This withdrawal is in line with our stance on integrity. We have, therefore, resolved to withdraw our participation in this exercise to uphold the integrity of our party and our unwavering belief in credible electoral practices.”
The party assured its supporters and the people of Ondo State that it remains committed to sanitizing the electoral process.
Dr. Bakitta Bello, the PDP Chairman in Ondo, confirmed the withdrawal in a telephone interview with NAN.