The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kwara State chapter, has watched helplessly bewildered how the Kwara State Governor, the All Progressives Congress and their members, under the guise of Town Hall meeting, are serially violating the electoral laws of the land which forbid electioneering campaigns until 90 days to the election.
We are alarmed that under a dubious façade of Town Hall meeting, the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed and his aides, have surreptitiously begun electioneering campaign ahead of the 2015 elections, in clear breach of the constitution, the Electoral Act and relevant INEC guidelines.
It bears repeating that, Section 99 (1-3) of the Electoral Act stipulates that the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.
We are therefore disappointed that Mr. Ahmed, who should ordinarily be in the forefront of ensuring strict observance of the rule of law, is the No. 1 person who is openly indulging in the violation of it.
It is even worst when one realizes the fact that the said Town Hall meeting, where the second term ambition of the Governor is now being sold by appointed aides of the governor to the unsuspecting members of the public, is being funded from the public purse.
The questions on the lips of all right-thinking Kwarans are: Why has the Governor suddenly woken up to the realization that a town hall meeting would up his rating as a non-performing state executive to a performing one? It is not curious that a so-called Town Hall meeting, which was not organized two, three years ago has now suddenly become desirable seven months to the exit of the APC-led administration?
We mince no words in declaring that it is preposterous and hasty for the APC to start open campaigns through so-called town hall meetings, erecting billboards and printing posters, urging voters to vote for the party.
By these deliberate actions, the Governor and his aides have exhibited a gross abuse of executive power, by leading their party to prematurely commence campaign for the 2015 elections in violation of the law.
Our party believes that if left unchecked, these actions will confer an unfair advantage on the APC over and above other political parties.
The good news though, is that at all the places visited so far, particularly in Offa, Ajase-Ipo, Oyun, etc, the people have risen in unison to reject the APC and its various obnoxious policies; the people have spoken in clear, unambiguous terms, that never again shall they be taken for a ride by a government that has mounted more billboards than roads and classrooms.
It is in the light of the above that we ask the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to assert its authority by sanctioning Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and the APC for breaching the Electoral Act. The first step at doing this will be to first disband the so-called Town Hall meeting. In the alternative, the Town Hall meeting should be converted to avenues where Kwarans are sensitized on the dangers of the dreaded Ebola virus and precautionary measures to take.
However, if INEC fails, neglects or refuses to act decisively against this brazen violation of the Electoral laws by the governor, his aides and their supporters in Kwara State, it would have lost any moral authority to stop other parties from taking the laws into their hands.
Rex. K. Olawoye
