ABUJA - The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday barred its members from participating in the local government elections in Lagos State.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, said in a press statement issued in Abuja that the conduct of elections outside the 20 constitutionally recognized Local Government Areas as proposed by the Lagos state government “is illegal, ultra vires, null and void” and emphasized that the exercise would not be given any legitimacy by PDP through its participation.
“As a law abiding party, we shall not participate in any elections whose constituency delineation is outside the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In other words, any Local Government election conducted outside the 20 constitutional recognised local councils in Lagos State is illegal, ultra vires, null and void and will not be given any legitimacy by our participation”.
The PDP warned its members in Lagos state to distance themselves from the exercise which it declared as a negation of the country’s grand norm and chided the Lagos state government for violating the constitution despite its professed adherence to the rule of law.
“The proposal by the Action Congress (AC) Government in Lagos State clearly violates the laws of the land and also negates their self professed principles of advocacy for democracy and justice. Their insistence on conducting elections in phantom constituencies is yet another attempt to ridicule the democratic process and disenfranchise the people of Lagos State who cherish democracy,” he said.
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