Bafarawa warns PDP delegates against voting for highest bidders at convention

Bafarawa warns PDP delegates against voting for highest bidders at convention

• Attahiru Bafarawa

A presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Attahiru Bafarawa has warned delegates for the national convention of the party where its presidential candidate would be elected to fly the flag of the party for the 2019 general election to shun cash and carry culture of voting that would sway them to vote in favour of the highest bidder.

In as much as the party abhors vote buying during election which has become the order of the day in Nigeria’s election as exhibited during the Ekiti State governorship election and the recently concluded bye-elections for National Assembly vacant seats, he said it behoves on the delegates to ensure they vote for the best aspirant based on antecedents not on how much they can get.

He warned of the grave consequences of such action, as they must have sold their conscience by so doing.Bafarawa spoke yesterday at the PDP secretariat in Lokoja when he visited to seek their support for his aspiration to be elected as candidate of the party for the 2019 presidential election.

The aspirant asked them to avoid the temptation of making money their focus but rather to make the growth and development of the country their priority.He said cash for votes is the reason the Nigerian democracy is degenerating. The aspirant promised to take the wellbeing of the leaders of the party his priority so they can also live a fulfilled life.

The former two-term Governor of Sokoto State commended those who have sacrificed their ambitions while working for the progress of the party. “I always pity you because the leadership of the party is not something that is getting any specified dividends. The only time you are useful is when people are looking out for electoral offices, they use you and dump you when they are elected only to come again after four years to use you.

“This time around be careful those you elect to fly the party’s flag. I don’t want to see you at the Eagle Square queuing up to sell your consciences because whenever you are paid to vote for any aspirant you must have been bought; you have sold your birthright.”

He said the major problem in the Nigerian politics is that it is from top to bottom saying this time they should start from bottom to top.According to him if he gets the support of the delegates he would take care of the party’s working committee.Responding, the Kogi State PDP Chairman, Engr Sam Uhotu, described the politics of Bafarawa as one centered on human capital, as he commended the aspirant for always identifying with the people in times of challenges.

The PDP Chairman urged the aspirant to address the decay and the level of impunity currently being witnessed in the country, urging him to salvage the north from the current lack of leadership.The state chairman urged the aspirants on the PDP platform to form a common front in making consensus to elect a credible candidate for the forthcoming presidential election, pointing out that the north is now made a laughing stock, but can be salvaged when the right candidate emerge from the PDP.