Groups Warn PDP on Bayelsa Guber Primary, Hail Nigerian Candidate for UN General Assembly Presidency

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Two civil society groups, Rights Monitoring  Group and Centre for Convention on  Democratic  Integrity (RMG & CCDI) have called on the PDP National Working Committee  to allow internal  democracy dominate the forthcoming  governorship  primary in the November 11 governorship  election in the state, noting the the election  would provide  another opportunity  for the people  of Bayelsa to appreciate  democracy as well as deepening democratic tenets and further accelerating the development recorded by the outgoing government.

 

In a statement made available to Global Excellence magazine on Monday, president  of the groups, Ambassador  Olufemi  Aduwo, condemned  the killings during the last general  elections  in the State which he reportedly witnessed as election  observer, warning that such act must not be repeated  in the forthcoming election.

 

 

According to Aduwo, who is also the permanent  representative of CCDI to the United Nations, “PDP must be ready to conduct free and fair primary and the party must encourage acts that will deepen  internal  democracy, discourage imposition  of candidates on  people and ensure that loyalty and consistency are rewarded  rather than encouraging godfatherism.”

 

The rights activist added that “PDP must be a good student of history  and learn that the rule of few men as practiced  by Adams Oshiomole  of APC has consequences, noting that Zamfara  State  since the return of civil rule in 1999 had never been won or ruled  by PDP but today, the reverse  is the case due to the rascality  of one man in APC. Since 1999, PDP  has been ruling Balyesa  State  and by extension the ljaw nation, hence the party must not take the people of the State for granted in order to avoid the calamity that befell APC  in Zamfara  State.”

“We want to appeal to the former President  Jonathan, an African hero of democracy, not to dabble into politics at such local level or allow any candidate use his good name to campaign before the primary. He had set example that other African leaders  should follow by that singular action he took in 2015 that saved Nigeria from bloodbath.

We also appeal to the people of Bayelsa  State to eschew bitterness, bigotry, hate speech and promote the goodness of the State. It’s on record  that the outgoing governor, Seriake Dickson, has restored  peace to the State and such legacy must be encouraged  and sustained  by all parties.

 

Aduwo, who is currently  in New York  to witness the election  to the office of the United  Nations  General  Assembly  President  scheduled  to hold on  4th June, 2019, used the opportunity to congratulate in advance the Nigerian  Permanent  Representative  to United Nations, Ambassador  (Prof)  Tijani  Mohammed-Bande, who will emerge as the President  of 74th General Assembly session. He said that Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI) as a consultative status of  the United Nations which he represents as the Permanent  Representative, looks forward to work with the new UN General Assembly President in the area of SDGs  and related issues.

 

Comrade Olufemi Aduwo; “RMG, CCDI ready to work with UN General Assembly would-be president”