The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Umar Damagum, has denounced a statement credited to President Bola Tinubu, to the effect that he would take Edo for his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Damagum, who spoke during the ongoing inauguration of the National Campaign Councils for Ondo and Edo States, in Abuja, on Thursday said the President and his party should be made aware that “Edo, no be Lagos.”

He said the ruling party should also be made aware that the PDP and the people of the two states would not allow anyone to “grab, snatch and run” with their mandate.

The party chairman equally said the people of Edo State were pleased with the record of performance of the outgoing PDP government led by Godwin Obaseki and were prepared to reward the party with their votes.

For Ondo State, he said the PDP and its members in the state had learnt their lessons from the last four years in opposition.

READ ALSO: Edo Guber Final List : Group Knocks LP, Commends, INEC, Yakubu

Damagum said, “Today, we are inaugurating these two campaign councils. I just have two or three words to say to you. Most of those of you that are selected have done this job before and have done it effectively.

“I want to remind you that the party you belong to is truly a democratic party.

“From the way these candidates emerge, it has shown that we are truly democratic. And also this should give you the faith that what you are going to embark on will yield the desired fruits.

“I’ve just been watching the remarks especially on Ondo, Amin Edo, where the President said he’s taking Ondo for his patch.

“Like we’ve always said, he has tried it before, and we have a slogan that ‘Edo no be Lagos.’ So, I want to use this opportunity to stress that we are in a democratic dispensation and there are rules that have to be adhered to.

READ ALSO: Hundreds Of APC Members Defect To PDP In Ondo

“We will not sit down and allow anybody to snatch, grab, and steal. We will be battle ready for any thief that rares his head to steal our fortune.

“We have done so well in Edo State. We thank the Governor. We are very proud of him. And our records in that state speak volumes.

“And it is part of our pride. And it will be one we will use to continue giving them that dividend that they have enjoyed during Godwin Obasiki.

“So Edo is there for us because we have done very well and we will take it back to the PDP. Edo State has always been PDP.”

In his remarks, the party’s National Organising Secretary, Capt. Umar Bature (Retd), said the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri will chair the Edo State Campaign Council to be assisted by his Delta.

State counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori and Dr. Agu Kefas of Taraba State.

READ ALSO: Ondo Poll: INEC Publishes Candidates’ Final List, Fixes Date For Campaigns

He also said. “Mr. Chairman, he has about 148 members and we pray for the success of this committee.

“The committee from Ondo is chaired by Senator Ademola Adeleke, who unfortunately has not been feeling well to attend today. He made sure that his deputy will attend.

“We have Barrister Caleb Muftwan from Plateau will also be deputy and as well as Dauda Lawal from Zamfara State will be the second deputy.

“This list has about 177 members. Ondo is very large and we believe the composition of this membership will have cut across all our party members in those two states and we pray that we deliver these states.“

READ ALSO: Edo Guber: Ighodalo Unveils Manifesto, Promises Prosperity In Edo

While speaking on behalf of the campaign councils, the Chairman for Edo State , Governor Ahmadu Finitiri of Adamawa State, said, “We are ready for Edo. We will not leave anything to chance. We will leverage on Obasaki’s performance.

“We have a low hanging political fruits in the two states. We should go with all seriousness.

“We will match APC. With technology, rigging is very minimal. PDP has bright chances in the two states. Edo has registered over 2000 since new registration has started.”

Speaking earlier, a member of the PDP National Executive Council who is also a member of the campaign team, Chief Tom Ikimi, said, “On behalf of those state members who are here, I salute you all. I’d like to thank the working committee for this occasion.

“That is the inauguration of the campaign council, national campaign council for Edo State. Let me assure you that we have already won the election in Edo State.”

Rivers State governor, Siminialayi Fubara has claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has failed the state.

Fubara said this while receiving a delegation from the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, led by Senator Orji Uzo Kalu, on Thursday.

The governor who was reportedly disappointed at the party’s silence on the crisis between him and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said the state would from now on, stand on its own soil and defend its democracy.

READ ALSO: Why Hired Youths Tried To Bomb P’Harcourt Hotel — Fubara

He said that Rivers was currently relying on a mass movement based on truth and consistency instead of party politics.

Fubara said: “In our state today we are no longer doing party. We are doing a movement, so you don’t blame me if I don’t go to the side of the party too much.

“The party has failed us here, so what we are doing here is to stand with our two legs on the soil of Rivers State, so that we can defend democracy.”

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Thursday affirmed Prince Yusuf Kadari, SAN, as the deputy governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP, for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State.

The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, held that the LP was within its rights when it nominated Kadiri as the running mate to its flag-bearer for the election, Olumide Akpata.

Justice Nwite held that the electoral body had no right to reject Kadiri’s nomination since the party acted in line with provisions of both the Electoral Act 2022 and the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

READ ALSO: Oba Of Benin Faults LP Candidate Akpata’s ‘Son Of The Palace’ Claim

Recall that the governorship candidate of the LP, Akpata, had picked Kadari as his running mate for the election slated for September 21.

Even though Kadiri’s name was forwarded to INEC by the party, however, the electoral umpire published Alufohai Oluyinka Faith as the deputy governorship candidate of the LP.

Realizing the error, the party wrote the electoral body, asking it to replace the name it published with that of the candidate it nominated and forwarded to it.

Following the failure of INEC to comply with the directive, LP brought the case before the court.

READ ALSO: Edo Guber: Court Adjourns Suit Challenging Akpata’s Nomination As LP Candidate

Delivering his judgment in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/556/2024, which had INEC as the sole defendant, Justice Nwite faulted the Commission for its refusal to make the requested substitution.

He held that Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2022, gave the room for a political party to within 90 days to a scheduled election, write to INEC to demand the withdrawal of a candidate whose name was already published.

The judge held that evidence before the court showed that the LP did not act outside the provisions of sections 29, 31, 32 and 33 of the Electoral Act 2022.