[dropcap]D[/dropcap]eltans were expecting the state PDP to create a level-playing field for all aspirants in a transparent primaries to make the PDP a stronger and more cohesive party in Delta State as quoted by the Executive Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa when he was addressing the party faithfuls last year. He promised that the PDP in Delta State would organise an all-inclusive, transparent, acceptable, and credible primaries that would rebrand the PDP and show their platform as a truly democratic Party, but reverse was the case as the PDP in Delta State decided to toll the old ways of manipulations, intimidations, blackmail and imposition of candidates by the so called leaders who have hijacked the PDP as their personal estate and always impose wrong candidates against the wishes of the people.
Recently, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the Itsekiri region of Warri South-West Local Government Area have rejected the imposition of candidate on them by some party leaders.The aggrieved protesters who stormed the PDP State Secretariat last week in Asaba, the Delta State capital, chanted various songs to express their displeasure with the development.
This comes amid preparations for the local government elections in Delta State scheduled for January 6, 2018, as political parties have begun the process of selecting their flag bearers for the polls to elect the officers of the third tier of government.The ruling party in the state – PDP is also an integral part of this process with some local government councils already producing candidates for the elections.But members from the Itsekiri region of Warri South West LGA have accused some party members of disrupting the political harmony of the local government.
Spokesman for the group, Andrew Igban, who decried the alleged imposition of one Taiye Tuoyo as the PDP candidate for the polls in the region, maintained that the voice of the people must be heard.He said: “We the PDP leaders of Itsekiri extraction of Warri South West LGA wish to inform the state leadership of the party and the state governor that the Ugborodo axis and the Ijaws have taken their turn of the LGA chairmanship in the persons of David Tonwe (presently the Director-General, Delta State Security), and George Ekpemupolo (the immediate past chairman of the LGA), and that it is now the turn of Benin River (Orere) axis to nominate the chairmanship candidate for the forthcoming contest.
“With every sense of seriousness, we have in one voice rejected the candidature of Taiye Duke Tuoyo as he is not even from Warri South West but Warri North and has not been playing politics with the Itsekiris in Warri South West LGA.”
According to a communique issued by the protesters, they have urged the party’s leadership to order the immediate release of the nomination form to one Johnbull Atse Edema Atumu.The protesters were received at the party’s secretariat on behalf of the PDP state chairman by the Organising Secretary of the party, Sunday Onoriode.
Onoriode commended the people on their decision to drive home their demand in a violent free manner and promised to pass their requests to the party’s leadership for possible consideration.
The imposition of candidates by leaders of PDP in Delta state has become a norm and usual way of doing things in the past and present. It has got to a level whereby the State governor does nothing about this ugly and disheartening incident because he is part of the system and he can never change way.
Just recently , the same issue of manipulations, intimidation, blackmail and imposition of candidates came up in Oshimili North Local Government of the state ,when a popular candidate and a strong PDP member, Mr Elofu Dike,and some councillorsship candidates were allegedly denied the right of acquiring an expression form under the platform of PDP for the forthcoming local government election and as it was alleged that the expression forms were only available for the anointed candidates of their various intending positions. This is undemocratic as people in the local government are tired of imposition of candidates; as they made it clearly known that the forthcoming election in the state will no longer be business as usual. Maybe PDP in Delta State will learn their bitter lesson after the 2019 election because the people’s vote must count this time around.
By: Maduike Ifeoma
Publisher, Guide Express