Aspirant Threatens to Drag PDP to Court over Disqualification

Michael Olugbode

An aspirant of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for the Abuja Senatorial seat, Prince Taribo Williams has threatened to drag the party to the court over what he termed his unjust disqualification.

Reacting to his purported disqualification by the screening committee of the party, William told THISDAY in Abuja yesterday, that he had contested the same seat on the platform of the National Democratic Party in 2007. He said PDP disqualified him for failing to present his educational certificates after he had presented an affidavit showing that he lost them during the Jos crisis of 1999.

He said he went ahead to take his grievances on his purported disqualification to the appeal panel of the party, which told him there was no reason for the action against him.

He said he was however surprised that the earlier decision to disqualify him from the party primary was not reversed.

Williams, while explaining that he was still expecting the party to reverse his disqualification, said he was however consulting his lawyers to take up case with the party if no action was taken within the next 48 hours.

He said: “I feel robbed of my right to represent the good people of the FCT, Abuja at the Senate. I will take the case up at the court if I am not allowed to run.”

He added that: “I have consulted with my lawyers and we are given the party 48 hours to reverse the early decision, failure of which we will take them to court.”

On his aspiration, he said: “My passion to run now more than ever is because of the hypocrisy of the incumbent Senator representing FCT who has been unable to deliver the democratic dividends to all and sundry in the constituency.

“Due to his tribal, sentimental and regional politics, the FCT has lost a great deal, this is the place for all Nigerians to live freely, play politics freely and serve the people living in the FCT with decorum and respect.

“One of my greatest agitation in the FCT is decentralisation of AMAC from the Seat of the President of Nigeria. Abuja is created to reflect the real image of Nigeria where tribal, ethnicity or religion does not hold any relevance.”

He added that: “Abuja is a city that promotes unity, oneness and freedom for all Nigerians to aspire to live, to contest, to serve Nigeria in any capacity both in politics or in business. And as an aspirant I have investments in FCT worth over N16 billion, spanning projects from road construction, real estate and hotel acquisitions in the FCT since 2006 till date.

“So I have enough investments to motivate me to protect and safeguard investments, and promote development in the other area councils aside AMAC to realize the yearning of the people of FCT for FCT State. “