The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged its state chapters to carefully screen prospective party agents ahead of the 2027 general elections. The party's National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, gave the charge during a Train-the-Trainers workshop for party agents at the PDP national headquarters in Abuja. He warned against appointing individuals with divided loyalty who could compromise the party's interests during the polls.
Bature cautioned that individuals who might defect to rival parties or collaborate with political opponents should not be entrusted with representing the PDP at polling units. He urged party officials to identify and appoint committed members, stressing that the party had previously experienced situations where agents allegedly worked for opposing interests, leaving its candidates vulnerable during elections.
The PDP's National Organising Secretary described the exercise as critical to the electoral process, noting that the party must avoid administrative difficulties experienced during the submission of candidates' details to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He expressed concern over challenges encountered in the party's dealings with INEC, particularly following a Supreme Court judgment.
To ensure timely submission and verification, the PDP has set an internal deadline of December 10 for the submission of agents' nominations. This is earlier than INEC's believed deadline of December 17. Bature directed state officials to ensure that all required information, including agents' names, designated polling units, and photographs, was provided before the deadline.
State officials will be responsible for collecting and uploading the details of nominated agents through the party's process, while the national leadership will handle the subsequent submission to INEC. The required information will be used for identification on the agents' accreditation tags. Bature warned nominated agents against handing over their identification tags to rival political parties.
The National Publicity Secretary, Jugundo Mohammed, added that winning the upcoming election starts from what happens at the polling units. He called on participants to ensure that the process of nomination of party agents was not compromised. The workshop was attended by eight state secretaries, 21 organising secretaries, and 25 information and communication technology (ICT) officers.
The PDP's Train-the-Trainers workshop aimed to equip party agents with the necessary skills to effectively represent the party during the 2027 general elections. The party is taking steps to ensure that its agents are trustworthy and committed to its interests. Key points include:
Key points
- PDP cautions members against appointing individuals with divided loyalty as party agents.
- Party sets December 10 deadline for submission of agents' nominations.
- INEC's deadline for uploading agents is believed to be December 17.
