PDP’s suit against placeholder, baseless, says Pro-Obi group

The Peter Obi Support Network has described the Peoples Democratic Party’s suit against the Labour Party over the use of a placeholder as a presidential running mate as a “baseless and useless” effort.

Speaking to our correspondent in Awka, on Friday, the spokesman of POSN, Sani Altukry, asked the PDP to go and prepare for the campaigns, debates, and election instead of wasting its time on a frivolous exercise.

The PDP had on Thursday instituted a lawsuit compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission to prevent the All Progressives Congress’ presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and the Labour Party standard bearer, Peter Obi, from replacing their running mates with Senator Kashim Shettima and Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, respectively.

The party is also asking the court to declare that Tinubu and Obi be disqualified unless they contest alongside their previous running mates, Kabiru Masari, and Doyin Okupe, respectively.

But in a swift reaction, Altukry said the action of the PDP indicated clear evidence that the party was stranded politically and lacked ideas on how to proceed with preparations for their campaigns and election.

He wondered whether the PDP was unaware that the Electoral Act allows voluntary withdrawal of a candidate and its replacement within the stipulated timeframe.

He said, “It is clear evidence that the PDP is stranded politically. It lacks ideas about how to proceed with preparations for the campaigns and election, hence, it is now clawing at any straw, no matter how insensible such straws are.

“The Constitution and Electoral Act are clear on how nominees for an election can be substituted, and as long as we are concerned the Labour Party followed the rules in nominating and withdrawing, and subsequently replacing the presidential running mate.”

“The PDP should go and prepare for the campaigns, for debates, and for the election proper. Our candidate and the Labour Party are fully prepared, and as you can see, we are reaching out widely and engaging Nigerians on issues that are personal and relevant to them. We are not interested in frivolities, and as long as we are concerned, such suit as you referred to is frivolous,” he said.