The Borno PDP Progressive Alliance (BDPA) has dismissed the court order substituting Alhaji Gambo Lawan for Mallam Mohammed Imam as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the April 11 ballot.

The group said in a statement issued in Maiduguri and signed on its behalf by Mallam Bura Surukusku: “We affirm that there was never a primary through which Gambo was elected as falsely presented to the court and so there was no legal basis for citing a purported primary victory upon which the court based its decision.

“We wish to put on records that peculiar situation within Borno State had compelled party leaders to scout for the best candidate with grassroots support and needed goodwill to unseat the incumbent. Deep thoughts and on-the-spot analysis in Borno State confirmed that Imam, who actually introduced the incumbent to politics, was the man with the structure and goodwill to beat Governor Kashim Shettima. Imam had proved that fact as situation on ground in Borno State showed that Imam’s aspiration is a potent and realistic one.”

Continuing, BDPA said: “We make bold to say that there was never a primary in the real sense of the word and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) never supervised or witnessed any. All documents submitted to the court to present Lawan as victorious in a primary are forged and the stay of execution already filed on appeal will substantiate this before long. We commend the appeal already lodged and we direct our teeming supporters to continue to mobilise for Imam as our candidate for the April guber election.

“We particularly affirm that Lawan’s case differs clearly from (Chibuike) Amaechi’s case in all material facts. While the Amaechi’s emergence was a product of a duly constituted primary supervised by INEC, there was nothing like that in the case of Lawan. The choice of candidate from Lawan to Imam was a consensual arrangement permitted by the political and security situation in Borno state.

“We also want to warn that ongoing attempt to divert attention from Imam’s efforts to unseat Governor Shettima is a replay of old tricks in Borno PDP. We will not allow any group to truncate the only potent chance of Borno PDP to win governorship election since 1999. We therefore appeal to Alhaji Lawan to abandon the suit and join Imam’s train in the larger interest of the party.

“Lastly, we reassure Borno voters that Imam remains their beloved Governor in waiting and they should remain steadfast in voting out the incompetent government of APC.”

•Photo shows Mallam Mohammed Imam.