… Says PDP yet to decide on Wike’s rainbow coalition

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency in Ondo State, Babatunde Faro, has called for a comprehensive audit of the country’s last general election and urgent reforms by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 polls.

According to Faro, unresolved failures in electronic transmission and voter accreditation could erode public confidence.

The PDP candidate, who stated this during a press briefing in Akure, the state capital, urged INEC to identify the shortcomings recorded in previous elections and the country’s effective measures before the next general election.

He said the commission must address the reported failure of the electronic transmission system and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which he said produced chaos during the last presidential election, and ensure that voters’ choices are respected.

The PDP candidate also admonished INEC to comply with the briefing in provisions of the Electoral Act on the publication of the electronic register of voters, expressing hope that outstanding issues would be resolved ahead of the election.

He said while a perfect election may not be possible, a performance in the region of 95 percent would represent satisfactory progress.

While speaking on the proposed Wike-led rainbow coalition, Faro stated that he was awaiting a clear directive from the PDP national leadership, adding that there had been no official communication on the party’s position.

He said the PDP’s presidential candidate remained Sandy Ojang Onor and that a firm decision on alliances would be taken closer to the 2027 poll.

“We don’t pray for what happened during the last presidential election to happen. When IREV stopped working, BVAS was not working, and we had a lot of chaos,” he said.

“On Wike Rainbow Coalition, we know that we can take a decision to be part of them, but we have not received any order from the national, so we don’t belong yet.”

When asked which presidential candidate he was supporting ahead of the 2027 general election, Faro said: “Our presidential candidate still remains Sandy Onor as the PDP candidate.

“One week or so after the 2027 poll, the party will take a firm decision on any coalition levels or any alliances with any party. And from then, as a party man, I’m obligated and bound by it, and I will make my own position known,” he said.

Faro explained that if the PDP decided to enter into an alliance with any presidential candidate or the “Rainbow coalition,” members at the grassroots level would be duely informed.

He said no such step had been taken yet, stressing that his immediate focus was on winning the Akure North and Akure South election.

Faro promised open, transparent, and accountable representation if elected to the House of Representatives. Rainbow Coalition’s priority would include youth and women’s representation, providing a platform for constituents to express their concerns, and attracting federal government projects and infrastructure to the constituency.

He added that he would remain accessible to the people and work to ensure that Akure North and Akure South benefited from federal government initiatives.