Female Presidential Aspirant Insists PDP Denied Her Nomination Form

Professor Akasoba Zainab Duke-Abiola one of the Peoples Democratic Party .PDP Presidential aspirants has categorically refuted claims that she was given her nomination form by the national secretariat.
She described as untrue,“ the ongoing rumuor that the only female Presidential Aspirant in the 2015 presidential elections in Nigeria, Professor Akasoba Zainab Duke-Abiola MNI popularly known as Mother Unity has collected her nomination forms from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)”She insisted “nothing could be farther from the truth.”
A statement by Mr Chris Burtton executive director, Akasoba Duke-Abiola Campaign Organisation , said “Professor Akasoba Duke-Abiola has not been given her mandatory nomination form despite her best efforts to obtain same.
The spokesman recalled that several weeks ago Professor Duke-Abiola, a founding member of the PDP, was denied the presidential Expression of Interest (EOI) and Nomination Forms (NF) despite the fact that she was the first to pay the mandatory fees for the forms (See PDP electoral guidelines 2014) and the first to arrive PDP party secretariat to collect the form. On her arrival at the party secretariat on the 27th, 28th and29th of October 2014 the PDP refused to issue the nomination forms to her on the excuse that only one nomination form “001” (and serial number 0000001 ) was printed for the presidential primaries and that the said form was reserved for another presidential aspirant, whom the party said was its sole candidate,her spokesman said.
The statement said further “Against all ethics of fair play, equity and justice the said form “001” was given to another aspirant (the incumbent president) at the fifty ninth second of the fifty ninth minute of the eleventh hour on the 30th of October 2014,the closing date for the sale of forms. Evenwith the so-called extension of time for the sale of forms Professor Duke-Abiola made stringent efforts to obtain her forms from the party headquarters, in early November, but was turned back. As a law-abiding citizen,She had no other choice but to approach the Courts, the hope of the common man,for justice.
“In the interest of“Integrity, transparency and accountability”, We submit that form 001 should havebeen given to professor Duke-Abiola since she was the first to pay and the first to arrive the party secretariat for the form.
“Having denied her the requisite form, and having disenfranchised her millions of supporters, the party went ahead and conducted the much disputed Ward Congresses throughout the federation on the 1st November 2014 of November 2014 thereby further denying professor Duke-Abiola her fundamental rights of canvassing for Delegates.
“Even in the Secret Service it is universally acknowledged that “007” is the number of Secret Agent James Bond. Therefore, all actions or inactions under “007” are accruable and traceable to Mr. James Bond. Mutatis mutandis, all actions, including acceptance of form “001” by any other aspirant,declaration of intention to run for the presidential primaries, campaigns,etc on the basis of form PD001/P will be aggregated and attributed to the rightful owner of the form who is Professor Duke-Abiola.
Her campaign office said ,“We consider these acts of discrimination against Professor Duke-Abiola and her millions of voters as a coup d’etat against Democracy by the PDP.
“Worse,it is an abrogation of the constitution, a flagrant violation of fundamentalHuman Rights and contrary to all International Protocols and Conventions to which Nigeria isa signatory including the United Nations Charter. Succinctly put, this is a clear case of political violence against women.
“This has become a Global Conversation (GC) as the endorsement of one aspirant cannot metamorphose into the trampling on the fundamental Rights of another.
“Despite the intimidation, victimization, political arm twisting, blackmail and gerrymandering; We wish to assure our millions of supporters that Professor Duke-Abiola is determined to participate in the forth coming Presidential primary elections.
“Our millions of supporters are hereby enjoined to remain law abiding in the firm belief that all power belongs to Almighty God.