Delta PDP Primary Election Of Controversy

Another political crisis is brewing in Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Delta state ahead of the party primaries starting this week Saturday. Stakeholders are saying it is not the best of time for the party in the state recently.

Despite that members of the party in the state have been assured of a free contest and level playing ground for all aspirants in the 2023 general election, there are evidences of chaos that is heating up the polity as aggrieved party members continue to display threats, thuggery and others that may jeopardize the success of the ruling party in the state.

Commissioner for Information in the state, Charles Aniagwu revealed as part of the resolutions reached at the party stakeholders meeting in Asaba, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the state party chairman, Olorogun Kingsley Esiso urged contestants to continue to ensure they play by rules and avoid acts tantamount to undermine the existing peace in the state.

They reminded the contestants that they were all members of the same political family in the PDP and urged them to avoid acts that could bring disunity to the party, reiterating that the party had resolved to conduct free, fair and credible primaries for all elective positions, stressing that there would be no imposition of any candidate.

According to him, “Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the State party Chairman Olorogun Kingsley Esiso urged contestants to play by the rules and be fair in their campaigns and to respect the fact that we have a peaceful state.

The meeting urged all persons participating in the ongoing electioneering process to as a matter of duty, responsibility and respect for the electorate ensure that they do not engage in actions that are capable of undermining the peace that we enjoy today in the state.

“The governor and Chairman of the party also assured that there will be a level playing field for all aspirants. As a government in Delta we will not engage in acts that will not inspire confidence on the part of our people. Everybody contesting will be given level playing field and nobody will be witch-hunted, nobody will be imposed on anybody in all the elective positions. They have assured that they will not be party to the imposition of any candidate,” he said.

As if the assurances have failed, ahead of PDP primaries in the state, youths numbering over 300 from Oleh Ward 1 and 11 in Isoko South Local Government Area staged a peaceful protest barricading the busy Oleh roundabout over the substitution of the names of its elected adhoc delegates.

The blockage caused heavy vehicular traffic gridlock as the road was closed to traffic for over one hour while security operatives made frantic effort to ensure peace while the protest lasted. The Isoko youths displayed placards with various inscriptions such as “Oleh delegate list should not be tempered with” and “leave Oleh delegate list” insisted that the adhoc delegate list must reflect the election which was conducted in the presence of the PDP Ward Chairmen for Oleh Ward One, Mr Lucky Ukpeowe and Ward 11, Mr Idogho Paul, leaders, youths and stakeholders which elected three adhoc delegates each from the two Wards.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Vincent Obonyano from Oleh Ward 1 and Engr Chris Kelvin from Oleh Ward 11 said after a successful election where three adhoc delegates each were elected, they were surprised that the names of those elected have been substituted hence the protest to register their grievances.

They noted that the substitution of the names of elected adhoc delegates clearly showed that some persons were out to shortchange the people in order to carry out their selfish motives, adding that the names submitted to the PDP Chairman, lsoko South, Mr Obaro Godspower was unanimously agreed upon by all leaders and wondered that at what point did the leaders meet to effect the changes .

The Youth Leaders accused the Isoko South PDP Chairman, Godspower for substituting the names of adhoc delegates, noting that for Oleh Ward 1, the adhoc delegates elected are Hon Joe Iroro, ldhoveh Lucky and Edo Oghenero Joy but the name of Idhoveh Lucky was substituted with one Emudhere Ufuoma Israel.

According to them, the elected adhoc delegates for Oleh Ward 11 are Chief Onojerme Benjamin, Mr Unuafe Believe and Mrs Roseline Jonathan but the names of Mr Unuafe Believe and Mrs Roseline Jonathan were substituted by one Ejebe Batty Omonigho and Obus Simmer Uyoyouoghene.

They appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to reinstate the names as that was the only way to pacify them, stressing that they were not against the governor or the leadership of the party in the state.

While the dust in lsoko South is yet to subside, last month, one of the aspirants in Oshimili North Constituency for the Delta State House of Assembly seat, Ekitu Kenneth Agbomah, allegedly led thugs to attack the state Assistant Organizing Secretary of the PDP, Chief Uche Egbuche, following his failure to emerge as one of the ad-hoc delegates in his Ebu Ward.

LEADERSHIP Newspapers reliably gathered that some politicians see themselves, having obtained forms as qualification as an automatic delegates, but may not guarantee such. Several other aspirants for the Oshimili North Assembly seat from other wards were not also Ad-hoc delegates.

Agbomah, who was arrested and detained at the Police Criminal Investigation Department in the Asaba headquarters of the police command, had allegedly been arrested by policemen from Illah Divisional Police Station.

Sources said he was nominated as an Ad-hoc delegate but lost the contest during the five man electoral college voting exercise, where he polled only two votes, against three which automatically disqualified him. Agbomah who alleged that his name was removed as Ebu Ward 2 Adhoc delegate, purportedly mobilized some youths in Ebu, Oshimili North Local Government Area, attacked and almost blinded Egbuche, whom he presumed, must have removed his name from the Ebu ward 2 Adhoc delegate list.

According to the victim, Egbuche, who said he would seek redress at the court of law for the unwarranted assault, “Following the directive from the party leaders, a meeting was held at the PDP ward chairman’s house, where Agbomah was nominated just like others, but lost at the voting by the party’s 5-man Electoral College, by polling two votes against three.

“After the Electoral College voting, I was leaving in my vehicle, when he and his boys blocked my vehicle on the road and started dragging and pulling me out of my vehicle. However, since I had my seat belt on, it became difficult to pull me out and his younger brother used a bamboo stick to poke and stab my face almost blinding my eyes”, he added.

Other aspirants jostling for the same seat in Oshimili North Local Government Area that are not elected as Ad-hoc delegates include, Frank Esenwah from Illah Ward, Okereke Emeka from Okpanam and Enyi Doris Mokobia, the Kpakpando of Akuku-igbo kingdom, amongst others.

Just this week, immediate past managing director, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (DESOPADEC), Chief Askia Ogieh, and his entourage narrowly escaped death.

Ogieh, also the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant for Isoko Federal Constituency in the 2023 general elections, were Tuesday attacked by armed youths, during a consultation visit to the Isoko North PDP chairman, Godwin Ogorugba, at Otor-Igho community.

They were attacked by armed political thugs allegedly working for Jonathan Ukodhiko, a fellow aspirant of the same party and Godwin Ogoruba, a PDP chieftain. Ukodhiko is the immediate past state Commissioner for Energy.

The newspapers learnt that two mobile police officers attached to the former DESOPADEC MD and members of his entourage were severely wounded while their vehicles were damaged during the attack. The wounded mobile policemen and other persons, it was gathered, were rushed to the hospital where they are receiving treatment.

A source who witnessed the attack told our correspondent that Ogieh and some of his supporters and party members escaped narrowly from the scene.

Condemning the attack while addressing members of Ogieh’s entourage in his compound in Oleh, Chairman of Isoko South PDP, Godspower Obaro, said, “We from Isoko South have never and will never attack any aspirant from the Isoko North or anywhere across the state and Nigeria because we are very peace-loving people and I wonder why we from Isoko South should be attacked in Isoko North right inside the compound of the party chairman”

But Isoko North PDP chairman, Godwin Ogorugba, denied his involvement in the attack against Ogieh by political thugs in his compound. “I was very angry, I learnt it was some boys from Emevor, Owhelogbo and Ozoro that were stoning him because they said he didn’t give them money.

My attention was drawn to the attack when I got to Warri, I was told they were saying when the immediate past Commissioner for Energy and PDP aspirant for the Isoko federal constituency in the 2023 general elections, Jonathan Ukodhiko came to Isoko South, he gave youths money so why should Ogieh refuse to give youths money when he came to Isoko North. I am not really aware of the attack and Askia didn’t call me either to inform me about it even till this moment I am speaking to you.”

However, a party leader from Isoko North who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the arrangement for the drafting of armed political thugs was handled by the Isoko North council chairman, Christian Iteire. “What happened today has never happened and must be condemned by every reasonable person in the land. I was actually privy to the whole arrangement and I warned against it. The arrangement was carried out by the chairman of Isoko North council, Christian Iteire who paid the thugs N1,000 each,” he said.

In addition to this the LGA chairman after the presentation of Bashorun in what could be seen as partisan preconceived response was said to have gone, countering whatever Ogieh had presented. “He cut short persons who were in support of Bashorun in their speeches claiming he was expecting others who were coming after Bashorun’s visit. A total disregard for his visitor and very unfriendly in his response”

Both Ogieh and Iteire did not answer calls to their mobile phone line and also did not reply to a text message sent to them as at the time of filing this report

Owing to the crisis, the Ndoshimili Development Association, (NDA), the apex social-cultural organization of the people of Ndokwa East LGA, (NELGA), of Delta State, has vowed to reject the imposition of any candidate in the 2023 general election, saying the area has received the poorest political representation “since the inception of this republic.”

This was contained in a letter endorsed by NDA’s Chairman, Dr. Obiorah Enuebuka and Secretary, Dr Mike Oke and addressed to the state governor. The letter read: “Ndokwa East Local Government Area has received the poorest political representation since the inception of this republic.

In the past and current we continue to be marginalized, disrespected and excluded from the infrastructural development agenda of the Delta state and federal government despite being the strongest net contributor of economic resources to the state and the nation.

“Why does NELGA suffer bad representation? The answer is because the state PDP controlled government has continued to impose candidates on us. They meet in Asaba and appoint their surrogates to represent us. This despicable act prevails in council, state and federal elections.

The consequence of having imposed leaders is that these persons give their loyalty to their masters who facilitated their imposition they tell our people to their faces that our people did not elect them so they will not answer to them. NELGA has not received dividends of democracy because of bad representation.

“It is important that those that call themselves political leaders respect themselves and honour the will of the people. The practice of imposing candidates against the will of the people is worse than military dictatorship. We hereby urge you to denounce this ugly trend and let the will of the people endure. A leader who understands how things work and who is desirous of creating a legacy is needed.’

“It is sad and unfortunate that our politicians have become so desperate for power and elections that they are going diabolical making delegates swear oaths that they must vote them in exchange for material and monetary inducements. To be clear, neither a sitting governor nor former governors nor their cohorts have the power to pick for the people who will represent them in a democracy that power belongs to the people and should be demonstrated during nomination. Please do not give us bad apples to pick from. We the people of NELGA have resolved to reject any party that imposes candidates for re-election before the poll so rigging will not work this time.

”We the people have suffered too much. In most communities in NELGA, there are no government footprints. The coastal road that is meant to connect our communities is not presented for execution, the health centre projects he started are abandoned, Abala Ossisa bridge road among others abandoned. NELGA has not seen the impact of constituency project appropriations both at state and federal levels yet the politicians are seeking re-election, we urge you not to support evil.

“Our oil and gas reserve is second to none in Africa, our Okpai Independent Power plant generates over 480 megawatts of electricity yet 98% of communities in Ndokwa East local government area are without electricity. We lack basic amenities in our communities. This is largely due to bad political representation. Our communities are in ruins, constituency projects do not exist where started they are abandoned. We now say enough is enough.

“The qualities we need in preferred candidates include Humility, people-oriented and service to public orientation; Must subscribe to public accountability and be trustworthy; Must have evidence of showing passion for public affairs in their personal life; Person of integrity with demonstrated capacity to speak out for us and drive infrastructure development.

Continuing, the letter said: “We don’t want people who seek public office to enrich their pockets and divert public funds that is what PDP has been giving us; Someone who has overwhelming acceptability by our people one who understands that a leader is a servant and Someone who has demonstrated success in their private life, in their vocation or career.

The state of the party in the state may not be unconnected to the reason the National Chairman of PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, was in Delta State last week to calm nerves. While warning against disagreements that could jeopardise the fortunes of the party in the elections at the federal, particularly at the state level, he said nothing whatsoever should be done to damage the unity of purpose which has brought about the party’s great development and our winning streak.

“Let me counsel that it is normal to have family disagreements within a political party, but whatever the disagreements we may have, let us ensure that it remains a family disagreement. Since we returned to democratic governance in 1999, Delta has remained a PDP state and I congratulate all our party members in Delta for the unity that has ensured that we remain a PDP state.

“It is said that divided we fall and united we stand. The PDP family in Delta must remain united and I have no doubt in mind that come next year, the Governor of this state and all members of the state and National Assembly will all come from the PDP. We don’t lose elections in Delta and we are not going to, particularly with the performance of Governor Okowa. Delta is moving forward and Delta will continue to move forward and Delta will,ways take its pride in of place in Nigeria as one of the shining states of the PDP family,” Ayu added.

On his part, Governor Okowa said that other parties in this state may make noise but PDP has stayed in charge and PDP will continue to stay in charge of the politics of this state.

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