The Peoples Democratic Party on Monday warned the ruling All Progressives Congress to stay away from Ondo State and that it should not get carried away with its last victory in Edo State, warning that the South West can neither be bought nor captured.
The warning was issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, at a media parley at the party secretariat in Abuja.
Ologunagba was reacting to Sunday’s remarks by the National Chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, in Akure, the Ondo state capital, that the ruling party is ready to capture all the six states in the southwest geopolitical zone.
Ganduje made the statement at a meeting that also had members of the APC National Working Committee, Ondo Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa; his counterpart from Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Ekiti Governor Biodun Oyebanji in attendance.
The meeting was held ahead of the November 16, governorship election in Ondo. Aiyedatiwa is the flagbearer of the APC.
The APC currently controls Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, and Ogun—out of the six states in the southwest zone, while the PDP has the administrative control of two states, namely Oyo and Osun.
But Ologunagba described Ganduje’s utterances as ‘reckless and irresponsible.’
Reacting on Monday, the PDP spokesman stated that his position was a further testament to an earlier warning they issued that the country is tilting towards totalitarianism and a one-party state.
He said, “This is a warning. The people of South West have a very rich history, a people who are very strong-willed, politically educated, and know what they want. Every student of history recognises clearly that the South West has always been a bastion for democratic rights.
“So for anybody, Ganduje for that matter, to come into Ondo State and say those reckless things call for the attention of Nigerians and indeed international community that he is a threat to democracy. He should be careful about the West because he could be declared as a ‘personal non-grata’ in the South-West for this recklessness. The APC should stay away from Ondo State.
“The November 16 election in Ondo State is a different ball game entirely. The people of Ondo state are ready. They are set to vote for the PDP. You can’t cow or suppress them from whatever they believe in. So the APC should watch it, and they should know that we do not take threats and the idea of capture lightly. We’ve never been captured and we are not prisoners.”