ABUJA — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday said it was optimistic of victory in 2023, in spite of defection to the ruling party by some governors elected under its platform.
The PDP National Chairman, Mr. Uche Secondus stated this while addressing media in Abuja in reaction to the defection of Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said while the APC was going after PDP governors, the opposition party was with the masses, who were the electorate that determined who got the power.
“The APC is going after our governors but we are going after the masses of this country.
“The governors have one vote but we are after the people, the masses, the people.
“The masses are solidly behind us. The masses are for the PDP and we stand here to state clearly that we shall form this new government come 2023 because of the masses and not because of the governors .”
Secondus said it was a shame for all the governors that left the PDP for fear or intimidation.
He said the party was however, happy that none of the masses in their state especially in Zamfara left.
Secondus cautioned Matawalle against taking the mandate of the party to the APC, saying no law permitted him to do so.
“From all indications, Matawalle has lost memory of how he came to become the governor of Zamfara.
“ Matawalle needs to be reminded that no law allows him to cross over to any other party with the statutory mandate given to PDP through the ballot box.
“As already established, the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the standing judgment of the Supreme Court is unambiguous on who owns the mandate.
“A combined reading of Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution as the pronouncements of the Supreme Court in Faleke v. INEC (2016) is clear.
“It is clear in holding that it is the political party that stands for election, that votes scored in election belong to the political party and that the candidate nominated to contest at an election by his party, acts only as the agent of his party.”
Secondus also cautioned members of the National Assembly as well as the PDP Zamfara House of Assembly, not to allow themselves to be pushed into losing their seats.
He said provisions of the constitution were very clear in barring lawmakers from defecting, except in a situation of a division in the political party upon which platform they were elected.
“There is no division in the PDP to warrant defection of any of our lawmakers.
“The PDP hopes that Matawalle as well as members of the National and State Assembly from Zamfara will take caution.”
He also reiterated the dissolution of the Zamfara Executive of the party by the NWC in line with the provision of Section 29 (2)(b) of the PDP Constitution 2017 (as amended).
