A female presidential aspirant on the platform  of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Ndidi Key, has called on the leadership of the party to declare her its presidential flag bearer instead of Kola Abiola.

Ms Key also called for the conduct of a fresh election within 24 hours if she was not declared winner. She stated this in a statement by her counsel, Yakubu Eleto Chambers, on Thursday.

The presidential aspirant said her demand was based on the gross manipulation and irregularities witnessed during the party’s primary election on June 5.

Ms Key alleged that the election was marred by corrupt practices and not in compliance with PRP’s guidelines.

Ms Key also claimed that she would not have issued the statement if the party elders and stakeholders had handled issues appropriately internally and particularly followed the principle of internal democracy.

“We are therefore by this press statement urging the party to within the next 24 hours declare Key the winner of the primary election held on June 5 without further delay or order a fresh primary election where all aspirants will be given a level playing ground,” said the statement.

Ms Key further alleged there was overwhelming evidence, including video footage to show that the election was marred by irregularities and gross malpractices.

The PRP presidential aspirant also claimed that the electoral irregularities were detrimental to her chances of winning being the most popular candidate and the only woman in the race.

According to the PRP presidential hopeful, the leadership of the party also worked against her before and during the primary election.

“Taraba is the state where the delegates confirmed that they were told that she had withdrawn from the race. They went to the extent of carrying out their anti-democratic moves by saying that agents were not needed in most places,” Ms Key’s statement added. “We have video footages of the returning officers affirming the position by the national leadership addressing the delegates on that.”

Ms Key’s counsel also alleged that while delegates’ list was tampered with in some states, the party’s electoral committee members were publicly canvassing votes for Mr Abiola. Delegates were threatened to vote for him in some states, she said.

The statement claimed that the primary results which were in her favour in some states were altered in favour of Mr Abiola, her opponent.

“The figures in the result sheet were tampered with in favour of Mr Kola Abiola to the unfair disadvantage of Patience Ndidi Key,” noted the statement.

She also claimed that in Yobe, the accreditation process was completed with 38 delegates present out of which 23 votes were cast in her favour.

“In furtherance of the attempt to impose the preferred aspirant, in other circumstances, the delegates were deceived to believe Key had withdrawn from the race,” explained Ms Key’s statement. “In certain places, the strategy was sheer intimidation of the delegates and agents who are recognised as Patience’s loyalists. In some vicinities, there was no evidence to show that the process was conducted in line with party guidelines but results were compiled and submitted in favour of Abiola.”

(NAN)