The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is faced with serious confusion over the substitution of the name of the chairmanship candidate of Bwari Area Council, Peter Yohanna Ushafa.
The party had, last February 8, through a letter signed by the National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke, substituted Ushafa’s name with Mr. Musa Dikko.
But on March 1, the National Chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbaulafor, reversed the substitution in a letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu.
Ogbulafor in the letter entitled: Substitution of PDP candidate for chairmanship of Bwari Area Council, said that the name of Peter Yohanna Ushafa be retained.
He said: “You will recall the letter written on my behalf by the National Legal Adviser of our party on the above subject (substitution of Peter Yohanna with Musa Dikko).
“I write to inform you that a final committee set up to investigate allegations against the candidature of Mr. Peter Yohanna Ushafa did not find any legal basis to justify his substitution with Mr. Musa Dikko.”
He stressed: “In view of the above, you are by this letter authorized to maintain the candidature of Mr. Peter Yohanna Ushafa as our rightful chairmanship candidate for Bwari Area Council, Abuja.”
But the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) has ignored the letter and the directives of the letter.
According to PDP Bwari Local Government Area Chairman, the FCT-INEC is still maintaining the name of Musa Dikko.
He said, in a letter addressed to PDP national chairman:”However, we are constrained to report to your office that FCT-INEC is playing pranks with the decision of the party. On the 8th of March, we are in possession of an assumed list of nominated candidates of the party in Bwari Area Council released by FCT-INEC, with Musa Dikko’s name on the list.
“Political Adviser to national chairman, Prof. Fred Onyezuri recieved the protesters petition on his behalf.
The substitution letter that was first sent to INEC was signed by the PDP National Legal Adviser, Olusola Oke.”
