The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has firmly declared that the residents of Ondo will not be “intimidated or silenced” as they approach the governorship election scheduled for November 16.
This statement came in response to remarks made by the national chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, regarding the recent Edo governorship election results.
“While Obaseki characterized the election as a do-or-die affair, we took a different stance,” Ganduje remarked on Monday. “We believe in doing what it takes to succeed, particularly as we prepare for the upcoming elections in Ondo this November and Anambra in 2025, where we plan to implement the same strategies we used in Edo to secure victory.”
However, in a statement released on Tuesday by PDP spokesperson Kennedy Peretei, the opposition party criticized Ganduje for not taking responsibility for undermining the will of the people. Instead, they asserted that he added insult to injury by claiming his party aims to dominate all five southeastern states.
The PDP response emphasized, “It is crucial to remind Ganduje that Ondo State is not a place where people can be intimidated or subdued. Our citizens are informed and resilient. When the now-defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) tried to manipulate public sentiment, the people made it clear to the Shagari administration that they would not be swayed.”
Additionally, the PDP condemned the Edo governorship election as a farce, alleging that both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and law enforcement were complicit in ensuring the PDP’s defeat.
The statement commended the bravery of the Edo people during the election and accused INEC of violating its own regulations.
“The citizens of Edo State would never elect a leader who pledged to bring ‘insecurity to Edo State,’” it asserted.
Finally, the PDP challenged Ganduje to apply the same tactics he mentioned to his constituents in Kano State, where he faced embarrassment from the lesser-known New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in last year’s gubernatorial contest.
