Stakeholders in Borno state throughout the weekend continued to oppose the substitution of Gambo Lawan as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the coming general election.

Lawan’s name was substituted by the national headquarters of the party with that of Mohammed Imam, whose name was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

A group named Borno Coalition for Good Governance on Monday at a press conference in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, said that the emergence of Imam was a rape on democracy and advised Lawan to challenge the party’s action in court.

The group stated that Imam’s emergence was an indication that his assumed political godfather, former governor Ali Modu Sheriff, wants to continue to rule the state by proxy.

“The emergence of Mohamed Imam as the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in Borno state is a rape on democracy and another desperate attempt by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to rule by proxy,” it said.

The stakeholders observed that it was a back door attempt by Sheriff to continue to control the resources of the state having failed to achieve the same goal with the current governor, Kashim Shettima.

“A vote for Mohammed Imam in the forthcoming governorship election is a vote for Ali Sheriff to continue his eight year misrule and another opportunity for his father, Galadima Modu Sheriff to continue to drain the state resources through dubious contracts,” the group stated further

“We must avoid mortgaging the future of their children and generations yet unborn by voting wisely against Ali Sheriff and his agents of backwardness.”

The group said it was opposed to Imam’s emergence because he was not fit rule the state, having badly managed the the affairs of the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, MMC, as chairman.

Earlier, on December 26, stakeholders in the state had written a petition addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan demanding a reversal of the substitution of Lawan’s name.

In the petition signed by Aminu Yakudima, Ibrahim Abatcha and Salisu Aliyu, the stakeholders expressed dismay that “14 days after the nomination and affirmation of Gambo Lawan as the candidate, he was wrongly and illegally substituted with Mohammed Imam on the eve of the closure for the submission of the gubernatorial nominees to INEC.”

They said that only Lawan was recognised as the party’s flag bearer in the governorship election in the state as he had been given a certificate of return.

“We want to believe that Your Excellency is unaware of this ugly and sad development particularly in a nomination process of this magnitude that was conducted by the highest office of the federation. In this regard and in the best interest of the party, we call for the immediate reversal of the decision to substitute Gambo Lawan,” the stakeholders urged.