By Bukola Olamona
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has said it would mobilise its members to participate in the Local Government elections coming up December 16 this year.
PDP also dissociated itself from the other members of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) who signed a communique recently not to participate in the forthcoming Local Government election in the state.
The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) Chairman, Dr Joseph Aremu had made the declaration of the coming election at a stakeholders meeting at its secretariat, Oba Ile road, recently.
In an interview with the party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Leye Igbabo, he said the party as the major opposition in the state has met with its leadership and stakeholders and resolved to participate in the elections after extensive and comprehensive discussion.
According to him:” Why we are participating is because the local government is the third tier of the government that should not be overlooked and left in the hands of every Tom, Dick and Harry
” The truth of the matter is that state governors in Nigeria have crippled the third tier, which is the most important, it is grassroot based, the most closer to the people, we cannot jettison it”. he said.
He disclosed that PDP was not among the political parties under the aegis of Inter- Party Advisory Council (IPAC) that signed a communique not to take part in the Council polls over what they described as insensitivity of the state government to the elections.
He said ” We are participating in the coming election without prejudice to the decision that IPAC may have made.”
He posited that his party would be fielding tested and trusted community people who know their onions at the grassroots level, adding that boycotting has never helped anyone.
He further called on ODIEC to do what is right as a lot of people’ s destiny relies on the grassroot election.
