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From Ameachi Prosper (The New Diplomat’s Delta State Correspondent)
Ahead of the council polls in Delta state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is gradually becoming a hotbed of parties’ internal crisis in the country as spiraling protests continue to trail the recently conducted primary elections by the PDP, leading to a reverberation of voices of cacophony across the south-south state, The New Diplomat exclusively learnt.
Although the party’s primaries were officially fixed for December 21, the exercise did not hold formally as expected as over 90% of the chairmanship and councillorship positions which were to be contested for were literally filled by what the party called consensus arrangement, a situation which many people have criticized as indiscriminate imposition of candidates of the party on the people.
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From Delta North through Delta Central to Delta South, it was observed that there were protests and condemnations of the PDP consensus arrangement which denied many aspirants opportunity to test their popularity for their various local governments and wards’ positions.
However, in spite of the deluge of protests and allegations of imposition of candidates, the executive structure of the party in the state has continued to insist that its process of picking its candidates for the March 6, 2021 Council poll was free, fair and democratic.
The following is how the brewing crisis in the Delta PDP is fastly shaping up:
Delta North
In the Delta North Senatorial district of the state, The New Diplomat observed there were several wards and chairmanship positions in the 9 LGAs that constitute the zone where aspirants who were dissatisfied with the party’s style of consensus arrangement, ventilated their grievances by way of protest and invitation for the governor’s intervention.
In Oshimili South for example, our correspondent gathered that the choice of who becomes the PDP chairmanship candidate for that Local Government Council has pitched the incumbent Council chairman, Uche Osadebe against the highly respected Asagba of Asaba, Obi Prof. Chike Edozien. It was alleged that those loyal to the Royal father have allegedly imposed a particular aspirant, Mr. Chinedu Okoh, from Okwe as the PDP candidate for the March 6, 2021 Council poll against the return of Osadebe.
The Asagba of Asaba, Obi Prof. Chike Edozien who spoke in his palace, shortly after a peaceful protest led by the President General of Asaba Develpment Union (ADU), worldwide, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, and the Odogwu of Ahaba, Obi Nwanze Odue against the return of Comrade Uche Osadebe, the Oshimili South LGA chairman to office.
The Asagba of Asaba disclosed that in the last 30 years Asaba has produced the chairman of the Council for eight times while Oko community, where Osadebe hailed from has produced the chairman for five times in the same period.
He said:“Asaba, Oko and Okwe are the three communities that make up the council area. Asaba, been the largest unit followed by Oko and Okwe. Now, we believed that for peace to reign in the local government, the chairmanship should be rotated amongst these three communities.
“Asaba Community has produced the chairman about eight times in the last 30 years, Oko, has produced about five times in the same period, Okwe has never produced the chairman.
“So, we feel that for peace to reign, Okwe should be given a chance but it seems that the government is supporting Oko, to enjoy the privilege far beyond the proportion in the local government.
“I think our people want peace and for peace to reign, they must have equity. They protested because Oko has so much privilege. The information I had is that the Chairman announced that he wants a second term.
“I am not aware that the government has supported him but if the government has supported him, that will make the postulation more serious than it is now.
“The message is what I believed the protest is all about that is, we want peace and progress in our local government and for that, equity must be there and the people don’t want another Oko Chairman.”
He noted that by his assessment in the last 30 years, none of the local government chairmen have done anything worthwhile, “and the present incumbent is worse than others.”
But, in a swift reaction, the incumbent chairman, comrade Osadebe said: “Because I didn’t allow only him to take the Oshimili South traditional rulers money that belongs to two of them; Asagba of Asaba and Akor of Oko.” Osadebe added: “You can go to the Council Secretariat to see for yourself.”
Also, a similar protest against imposition of chairmanship candidate was recorded in Aniocha South Local Government Area with headquarters at Ogwashi-Uku.
The protesters also marched to the government house, Asaba to register their grievances over an alleged imposition of an aspirant as a chairmanship candidate of the party in the March 6, 2021 local government poll.
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Delta South
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As at the time of this report, the tussle is among three PDP heavy weights in Warri North over who becomes the party candidate for the forthcoming election continues. The battle, The New Diplomat gathered, is among ex-chairmen of the Council, Hon. Godwin Ebosa, the current chairman of DESOPADEC, Hon. Michael Diden, aka Ejele and Alhaji Omoko. It was gathered that while Hon. Ebosa favoured the choice of Dio Tanga, Ejele has pitched his tent with Smart Asekutu, while Alhaji Omoko favours one Okpoye.
However, it was gathered that a group known as Warri North Unity Forum, WNUF, has thrown its weight behind a fourth chairmanship aspirant, Mr. Francis Abulu which, according to the group, was the consensus candidate of the Egbema Leaders.
The Publicity Secretary of the group, Young Franklin Oniyeburutan had issued a press statement recently to the effect that the three PDP chieftains regard their choices as their surrogates.
Oniyeburutan alleged: “Obviously, these candidates who have helped to maintain their political and economic base are about to be rewarded as one of them will likely be picked by the Governor for the job against popular opinion and the reasoned position of the Egbema Ijaw leaders.
“Nevertheless, Francis Abulu remains a round peg in a round hole as a man that can call upon or approach anybody for the good of the masses when it matters.
“If popularity and acceptance matter at all, then the three political heavyweights, in the persons of Godwin Ebosa, Hon. Michael Diden (a.k.a. Ejele) and Alhaji Omoko, would have been more circumspect in their recommendation to the Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. The three leaders and their three candidates are best described as struggling for the soul of the LGA while ignoring what is best and acceptable in the circumstances. This is really worrisome.”
“It is also a pity that Ejele, Ebosa and Alhaji Omoko have repeatedly rebuffed the consensus arrangement by Egbema leaders and other well-meaning Itsekiri leaders, who believe that the Egbema Ijaw Leaders opinion should be respected.
“With so many challenges confronting governance, it is the view of the Forum that leaders must think of the temperament of their actions and their consequences regarding what is in the best interest and future good of the people”, the statement added.
However, the group has urged Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, to put the interest of the people and the fear of God as uppermost in deciding between the consensus candidate, Francis Abulu and the three others.
Another boiling point trailing the PDP consensus arrangement in Delta South is the choice of who becomes the party candidate in Isoko North Local Government Area. The New Diplomat gathered that the struggle for supremacy was among Hon. Leo Ogor of the House of Representatives, former State PDP chairman, Elder Emma Ogidi, a highly respected and honorable political leader, former SSG to Delta state government, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay, who is considered as more liked amongst Isoko North people than Leo Ogor, whose performance at the House of Reps has been seen as less than honorable and Hon. Tim Owhefere of the State House of Assembly.
“In normal circumstances, Elder Emma Ogidi and Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay should be the ones to play the leadership role, not Rt Hon Leo Ogor, whose voice and impact have never been felt in Isoko North. I am surprised that somebody is even listening to Leo Ogor…”, said an Isoko activist, Comrade Paschal Itugbu.
A very reliable source told The New Diplomat that a meeting scheduled to hold at the country home of Hon. Leo Ogor to resolve the issue of a consensus chairmanship candidate ended in fiasco as Comrade Macaulay and Elder Emmanuel Ogidi were reported to have stormed out of the meeting in protest.
Also in Delta South, there have been protests in different areas in Burutu Local Government Area. In Kiagbodo, Councillorship aspirants from about three wards have risen to condemn the use of consensus to pick the candidates of the party.
Two Councillorship candidates, Mr. Paul Oruma (ward 13) and Perebei Godwin Gbogiemi ward 14 (ward 8 Kiagbodo) in Burutu Local Government Area led a protest march to the State Secretariat of the PDP in Asaba to register their dismay over the imposition of candidates, adding that even after they have emerged as the party flag-bearers in a well-organized primary, the party still resort to consensus candidate to shove them aside.
The protesters said they were in the party secretariat, Asaba to present their petition vehemently standing against the imposition of candidate in any guise.
They accused elder-statesman and minister of Information during the Gen Yakubu Gowon’s administration, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark of secretly dictating the outcome the primary to favour his nephew even when, according to them, the former Federal Commissioner of Information was no more a member of the the PDP.
Claiming that elder statesman and founding chairman of PANDEF has no right to impose a candidate on the people, the Councillorship hopefuls said they will “resist any attempt by him to hijack the collective will of the people who elected them as the PDP candidates by imposing his nephew on the people.”
They noted that Chief E.K. Clark ought not to have allegedly condescended low to impose candidates on the party which he resigned from in 2015, stressing that he is a father to all, and not a member of the party having renounced his membership.
They appealed to “Okowa who is the leader of the party in the state to intervene with a view to restoring their mandates as the candidates for ward 13 and 14, Burutu LGA in the forthcoming Council poll.” But another group said those dragging the name of the elder-statesman into the political fray are merely trouble makers as Chief.E.K.Clark has since stopped partisan politics.
The group said: ” They are just mischieviuos people, because Chief E.K.Clark has since hands-off partisan politics and he is now a father to all.”
However, addressing the protesters, the state PDP organizing secretary, Comrade Sunday Onoriode commended them for their peaceful disposition, promising that the party will look into their grievances.
Still in Burutu Local Government Area, the Ijaw Peoples Congress, IPC, also condemned an alleged move by the PDP leadership in the Local Government Area to impose a candidate in Ayakoromo ward 7.
According to the group, the PDP Councillorship primary was yet to be conducted in Ward 7 in Ayakoromo. The group’s National President, Mr Ekanpou Enewaridideke used the occasion of the protest to call on Delta State governor, Sen Okowa to ensure that a proper primary election is conducted for councillorship candidates, adding that they will not accept imposition by consensus.
“Ward Seven is known in Delta state for the democratic culture of conducting PDP party councillorship primary without a move towards imposition. But now there is a democratically satanic move by some politicians to impose their chosen candidate on Ward seven.
“These politicians boast that they have the right political vibrations, powers, and connections to carry out their planned imposition of a candidate in ward seven. This undemocratic satanic plot is contrary to the clear position of the Delta state Governor, His Excellency Senator Okowa Ifeanyi that there should be a democratic councillorship primary in every ward in respect of the forthcoming Local Government elections in Delta state.
“These satanic undemocratic politicians are trying to distort the democratic course of the governor. Towards the realization of this evil plot, they falsely drum up a dead propaganda that they have been secretly instructed to install a particular councilorship candidate in ward seven. Ward seven is a ward of intellectuals and political dons and so will not accept candidate-imposition no matter the devious strategy adopted to deceive and intimidate people at the grassroots level.
“Because ward seven will not accept councillorship candidate imposition, we are hereby passionately calling on the PDP state Chairman in Delta South Senatorial District, the PDP Chairman, Burutu Council PDP Chairman and all other relevant authorities to call the satanic undemocratic politicians to shelve their candidate-imposition plot in Ward seven,” Enewaridideke claimed.
Reacting to the allegations of candidate imposition in Burutu, the chairman of the PDP in Delta South Senatorial District, Chief Julius Takeme urged all aspirants for the party ticket in the forthcoming local government council election to play by the rules and avoid acts capable of heating up the polity.
Takeme who referred to a purported petition against him over the emergence of one Spenser Takeme as the party’s flag-bearer for Obotebe Ward 17 Councillorship election in Burutu local government area, said that the flag bearer emerged through a transparent process, stressing that what was expected is for all that contested with him to join forces and ensure victory for the party during the general elections.
According to him, the PDP at the state level had developed a template in line with its consensus building arrangement, which was the basis for convening a meeting by leaders of the party in INEC Ward 10 that make up DSIEC wards 17 and 18 to pick the candidate.
He said: “The Six aspirants from my Obotebe Ward 17 are all my younger ones. The working committee members of the party from the area met and adopted a process to select one among them. As the father to all, I chose to be neutral. Out of seven of us, five went for Spenser and he emerged. The process was very transparent.”
Explaining further, the Delta South PDP boss said that “after this well coordinated exercise, we were caught napping when one of us started protesting against Spenser’s emergence. He said Spenser should be disqualified. I asked why? And he said Spenser had represented the ward and should not go for second tenure. I again asked, when has vying for second tenure become an offense? I also asked why that suggestion was not made before the process that led to his emergence”.
“Spenser is a popular candidate. He was not picked because he is my brother. In 2017, I was not Senatorial Chairman when he won the election conducted by the entire community to pick a candidate for the party. This was exactly how these particular persons wanted to upturn his emergence. This is not good enough. I appealed to all to stop the lies and blackmails. We are all one family “, he said.
Chief Takeme emphasized that each flag bearer will face the electorates, stressing that there was no need for internal bickering, but to work together for the successes of the party’s candidates in the 6th March 2021 elections.
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Delta Central
Alleged imposition of candidates by PDP for the forthcoming local government election was also protested in Delta Central. In Ughelli North Local Government Area, aspirants for various elective positions under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), staged a peaceful protest and threatened to head to the court over alleged plan to impose candidates on the electorate.
The protesters, who barricaded the entrance of PDP’s secretariat in Asaba displayed placards with different inscriptions such as “No primary election, No general election,” “Local government is for the youths and the youths should be allowed to determine who to be their chairman,” “PDP is our party, we need a free and fair election, Ughelli North leaders take note,” and “Gov. Okowa please allow chairmanship candidates to go for primary in Ughelli North for peace to reign,” among others.
Mr. Richard Ovweghrederohwo is a chairmanship aspirant who was off guard with the consensus theory of the PDP. He was visibly present at the protest march to Asaba. He threatened to take the leaders of the party to court should they go ahead with the imposition of candidates on the people.
Speaking during the protest, Mr. Ovweghrederohwo, who is the Managing Director of Aduvie Motors, said that he ran for the chairmanship position in 2017, adding that he stepped down due to the leadership influence which they said they were enforcing on behalf of the governor. According to him, he stepped down for the incumbent chairman, Hon. Godwin Adode.
He said, “As a loyal party faithful, I obeyed and this is how he was imposed on the good people of Ughelli North.”
Mr. Ovweghrederohwo condemned what he called alleged plans of the leaders of the party in Ughelli North to, again, impose a candidate on the electorate, saying that it would not be accepted and would be highly resisted.
The chairmanship aspirant called on the state governor and state chairman of PDP to call the leaders of the party in Ughelli North Local Government Area to order before hell is let loose.
Also speaking during the street protest in Ughelli, the immediate past PDP Youths leader of the Council, Comrade Felix Olokpa, harped on free and fair primary and a level playing ground for all the aspirants.
According to him, the low votes recorded in the previous elections in the Council area was as a result of grievances from the imposition of candidates by the leaders of the party against the general will of the people.
The PDP in Delta State had always harped on a free, fair and democratic primary, noting that there was no anointed candidate for the forthcoming local government election in the state.
On allegations by party members who feel aggrieved over imposition of candidates, the state chairman of the party, Olorogun Barr. Kingsley Esiso had denied imposition of candidates on the electorate.
He said: “Those shouting themselves down for frivolous complaints and allegations are causing troubles. We at the Delta State Chapter of PDP are one family and there is nothing like imposition at all and the protest by Asaba people was nothing but a distraction in the state.”
The Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza also debunked the claims by aggrieved party members, that 16 serving chairmen of the various councils have been given the waiver to contest the forthcoming Council poll.
The Publicity Secretary, in a statement, said that there is not truth whatsoever in that allegation.
“There is no truth in the allegation of claims of any form of wavier given to any serving chairman interested in second term, No automatic tickets for serving chairman”, the statement read.
The New Diplomat however learnt that the denial of imposition or giving out automatic tickets, was just a smokescreen as trouble appears brewing up across the 25 local government areas over the alleged imposition.
A very reliable source alleged that some well placed persons loyal to the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa were behind the imposition and automatic tickets for the chairmen as a result of his rumoured dream of going back to the Senate in 2023.
However, the state government in a swift reaction has dispelled such allegation as unfounded and baseless. The state Commissioner for information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu stated that Okowa was not in anyway involved in alleged imposition, adding that, “Governor Okowa is a complete gentle man and cannot be involved in any imposition of the local government elections coming up next year march.”
According to the Commissioner, “Those. dragging his (governor)’s name into the allegation are just trouble makers and he will never be distracted”.
Meanwhile, the opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has also commenced the screening of its candidates for all the contestable positions in for the forthcoming local government election.
The party which issued out expression of interest and registration forms free of charge to all its aspirants, said it is strongly committed to contesting all elective positions in the March 6, local government election.
The screening of aspirants by the Caretaker Committee chairman of the party, Prophet Jones Erue has been concluded in line with the deadline set by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, (DSIEC), for submission of parties’ candidates.
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