‘We’ll resist intimidation,’ says Turaki-led PDP

The Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it will resist an attempt aimed at intimidating it.

It said no intimidation would detract the party from ratifying former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Ini Ememobong, stated this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

Ememobong said that the faction had been informed by the proprietors of A Class Event Centre of the threat by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.

He alleged that Wike had threatened to shut down the centre if the faction were allowed to use their hall for its presidential candidate ratification ceremonies.

“We state here, and for the record, that we had furnished consideration in full to consummate the earlier offer and acceptance.

“Furthermore, we had duly notified all relevant security agencies about the event. We have directed our lawyers to write, reminding A Class Event Centre of these facts.

“Having satisfied these requirements, we reiterate that the special convention to ratify the presidential candidature of President Goodluck Jonathan will hold as scheduled on Saturday, May 30, at A Class Event Centre, Wuse 2, Abuja, by 10 a.m,” he said.

Ememobong described the directive of the minister as an attempt to use force to suppress political dissent and opposition.

He said there was nowhere in the laws where the minister of the FCT was empowered to determine events that should be held and where they should be held.

“Such limitless powers are strange to a democratic republic,” he said.

Ememobong invited party leaders from the states, National Executive Committee members, and other stakeholders of PDP to attend the event as scheduled.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had earlier warned owners of hotels, event centres and other public facilities in Abuja against allowing their premises to be used by illegal organisations, saying property titles of offenders risk revocation.

The warning, issued on Friday in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, comes amid heightened political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to the statement, the directive is part of efforts to strengthen security in the nation’s capital and support ongoing operations by security agencies to safeguard lives and property.

The FCTA specifically drew attention to the ongoing political season and advised hotel and event centre operators to deal only with leaderships of political parties recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“For instance, in this political season, owners of event centres and hotels in particular must ensure that they only deal with INEC-recognised leadership of political parties in respect of the use of their facilities, and proper records of transactions must be kept,” the statement added. (NAN)

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