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By Amuda Dan Sulaiman FAB.
One of the aspirants for the Kogi State House of Assembly, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Lokoja 1 Constituency, Hon. Suleiman Babadoko has declared that he was not going back in his quest to contest the seat, come 2019, despite the recent zoning of the position to another ward by his party.
Babadoko made the declaration in Lokoja on Tuesday, while speaking with selected journalists on the recent zoning of the assembly seat to Lokoja, Ward ‘C’ by a committee.
He alleged that the assembly seat was zoned to Ward ‘C’ for a selfish reason saying that one of the party leaders already had a preferred aspirant from the ward whom he wants to give the party’s ticket.
While assuring that the zoning formula will lead to the the party’s failure, Babadoko cited the case in Rivers State where Governor Nyesom Wike contested and won the election for PDP despite the fact that his candidacy was clearly against the zoning arrangement in the state.
“When you are in opposition, what matters is to present the candidate that can win the election and not zoning,” he said.
He also said Mr. Wike was PDP’s best candidate for the election and was good enough for the party to look beyond zoning.
Babadoko, who said he risked his life to remain the sole opposition voice to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Lokoja Local Government Area, maintained that the constitution of the country far outweigh that of the party and insisted that he was going ahead to contest the house of assembly seat.
Said he, “I am not on my own, I have most Lokojans behind me. Rather, the PDP is on their own.
“No leader can kill my political ambition. After all, is God that gives power to whoever He chooses to give.
“I have been well groomed. I am matured and firebrand enough to face challenges of tomorrow. Things don’t happen by accident.
“When the party (PDP) lost the 2015 election in the state, how many of the leaders did we see. How many of them remain in the state to maintain the party structure. And why have they now come to cause confusion in the party they have ran away from.
“If they zoned the house of assembly seat to Ward ‘C’, so because I am not from Ward ‘C’, then I don’t have a right, is there zoning in the Nigeria Constitution? Forget that.
He continued, “What are you saying? Have you not seen in this country where a zone has two key offices.
“After all, I did well when I was elected into the state house of assembly in 2011. No body has surpassed my record.The leaders should encourage performance instead of imposing candidates on us, a thing they did in the past and failed.
“As far as I did not fail the people then, nothing can stop me from contesting. Even if they pick the party’s assembly candidate from my family: I will contest,” he boasted.
On the issue of his rumoured plan to dump the PDP for the ruling party, he said; “I am still making consultations with my people within and outside Kogi State.
“It is only my supporters that can tell me what step to take next. When I am done with them, I will, through a press conference let the public know the next level.
“But for now, I am still a member of the PDP,” he said.
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