Ahead of the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to be objective and abide by the rules of the electoral process.

The acting national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, made the call yesterday while issuing certificates of return to the governor of Kogi State, Capt. Idris Wada and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Hon Seriake Dickson.

They both emerged gubernatorial candidates of PDP ahead of the governorship polls.

Kogi State gubernatorial election will hold on November 21, while that of Bayelsa will hold on December 5, this year.

Secondus, who described Bayelsa and Kogi as traditional PDP states, said, “INEC and other agencies should play by the rules of the game so that elections will be won and lost fairly. No one should try to take it by force.”

He added, “No amount of rumour or intimidation can take the states from PDP. These are traditional PDP states.”

He stated that the outcome of the primaries was “the first time that we can beat our chest and say internal democracy has taken place”, adding that “this is completely a new PDP from what we used to know.”

The acting national chairman further underscored the transparency of the primaries, noting that members of other political parties “had to call me that this was a demonstration of complete free and fair primaries.”

He said the party will continue to improve on the primaries of both states, boasting that it has brought several support and rekindled confidence that everyone has a right to contest if they are qualified.