A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant vying for the Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency seat in Bauchi State, Godfrey Manasseh Marti, has dismissed the results of the party’s primary election conducted on Sunday, asserting that no credible process occurred in the constituency.
During a press conference on Monday, Marti responded to the results announced by Ali Ibrahim, the chairman of the electoral committee. He stated that he was unfairly excluded despite meeting every requirement to participate.
Speaking under the banner “Unlawful Denial of Right to Participate in the PDP Primary for Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency,” Marti emphasized that he purchased the necessary nomination and expression of interest forms, submitted all required documents, and paid the fees within the stipulated period. However, his name was mysteriously removed from the list of cleared aspirants without any justification.
“I satisfied all constitutional and party prerequisites to contest. Yet my name was arbitrarily struck off the final list of cleared aspirants,” he stated.
Marti also alleged that no screening report was provided to explain his exclusion, calling it a violation of the PDP Constitution, the party’s electoral guidelines, and the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees the right to political participation.
He argued that this incident reflects a deeper pattern of exclusion within the constituency and urged for reforms to enhance fairness and internal democracy. The aspirant demanded an immediate reinstatement as a cleared contestant and called on the PDP National Working Committee to conduct an independent investigation into the screening and clearance process for the constituency.
Marti appealed to the party’s national leadership, including the National Working Committee (NWC), the Bauchi State PDP leadership, and the Board of Trustees, to intervene urgently, warning that unresolved issues could erode confidence in the party’s internal processes.
He reaffirmed his loyalty to the PDP, stressing that his actions were intended to strengthen the party, not weaken it. “This is not a fight against the party, but for the party. If we abandon our own rules, we lose the moral authority to lead,” he added.