Ahead of the 2015 election, the People's Democratic Party (PDP)
yesterday conducted its primaries for the House Of Assembly seats across
the country, amidst discordant tunes from different factions. The
outcome of the primaries has further revealed loopholes within the party
structure and the need for proper reconciliation in the states ahead of
the main election.
In Abia State, the eldest son of governor Theodore Orji, Chinedum
Enyinnaya Orji, emerged as candidate in the Umuahia Central Constituency
seat for the State House of Assembly in the primary held at the School
Road Primary School, Umuahia. Young Orji won 10 of the 11 votes cast by
the delegates that included his father, governor Orji, to beat two other
contestants, Mr. Adighije Maduakolam and George Uwalaka, while one of
the votes was voided.
Babajide Obanikoro, son of the former Minister of State for Defence,
Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, emerged winner of the House of Assembly
primaries for Etiosa Constituency 2 in Lagos. He scored 18 votes to
defeat his rival, Muyiwa Ariyo, who scored nine votes.
Obanikoro, who was returned winner of the primaries conducted in a very
peaceful atmosphere, by the returning officers, Mr Akinwale Shamsudeen
and Miss Raheem Olaide, expressed appreciation to the delegates, adding
that outcome showed that voters have the final say. He said he was
looking forward to the state House of Assembly election on February 28,
2015. Contrary to assumption the PDP primaries would be marred in
crises, voting, in many locations was peaceful.
A last minute power tussle may have led to the cancellation of the
House of Assembly primaries of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, scheduled to hold yesterday, according to a
faction of the party, even as another faction claim to have emerged
winners in the primaries.
The chairman of the PDP electoral panel Akeem Animasaun, confirmed that
the primaries had been cancelled. He affirmed that he was appointed to
oversee the disputed primaries, adding that he was yet to be given the
delegates' list and documents with which he would conduct the primaries.
He said the cancellation might be as a result of crisis in the party, which, he said, would soon be resolved.
Despite the ruling last Friday of an Abuja Federal High Court that
recognised only the Ebenezer Alabi-led executive as the authentic
leadership of the PDP in Ondo State, the group of defectors, led by the
state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, held a separate primary election
for aspirants into the House of Assembly seats on the party's platform.
The parallel congress to pick the candidates were held in separate
locations by the two factions of the party in all the 26 state
constituencies, confirming the fear that despite the legal position, the
party may have slumped further into the crisis of leadership since the
defection of the governor from his erstwhile Labour Party (LP).
In Cross River State, the primaries produced 25 consensus candidates
for the 2015 elections. From all indications, a faction of the party
loyal to the Senate Leader, Chief Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, did not
participate. They withdrew from the race as the national body of the
party had annulled the first congress that was won by the Ndoma-Egba led
group and went ahead to recognise the list of the second primaries won
by Governor Liyel Imoke's group.
Commenting on the primaries, the Director General of the Ndoma-Egba
campaign team, Chief Ernest Irek, said they could not have participated
in a one sided primaries that deliberately excluded a section of the
party in favour of the governor. The Ndoma-Egba team had also pulled out
of the second congress.
Meanwhile, Ebonyi State Government gave reasons why the primary
election earlier scheduled for yesterday could not hold as in other
states.
In a statement issued by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr.
Onyekachi Eni, the government disclosed that the national leadership of
the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) had in response to certain
developments in the party in four states decided to postpone the primary
election to a later date.
The government regretted that despite the party's positions some
disgruntled politicians in the state have continued 'the deliberate acts
of misinformation and falsehood' to blackmail the party and sow the
seed of discord.
While pointing out that Ebonyi, Adamawa, Taraba and Ondo states were
affected by the postponement, the state government expressed dismay that
'some desperate politicians and agents of falsehood went to some media
houses to announce that the primaries would hold as part of a
pre-mediated plan to cook up a fictitious list of candidates as the
outcome of such exercise.'
However, despite the reversal by PDP leadership, the group loyal to
former Governor Sam Egwu said the Ben Collins Ndu-primary electoral
committee conducted free and fair primaries in the 24 state
constituencies of the state adding that the process was monitored by the
police, State Security Service (SSS) and the Independent National
Electoral Commission, (INEC).
Leader of the team and Chairman of the Panel, Senator Ben Collins Ndu,
declared that the team was in the state to conduct the State House of
Assembly primary election saying he was not aware of the postponement.
'If the election was postponed, we wouldn't have been here; we came
from the National Secretariat of the party. We are members of the State
House of Assembly Panel for the conduct of the election. We are
comfortable were we are; we will be fair to all persons. We want them to
conduct themselves.'
In Edo, candidates emerged in parts of the state, though there were
reported skirmishes in some areas that left the exercise inconclusive.
For instance, in Akoko-Edo Local Government Constituency II, there was
reported fracas that led to an attack on the Edo State Commissioner at
the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Oladele Bankole-Balogun, who was
said to have been seriously beaten over his alleged support for a
particular aspirant. One of the party officials, who was to conduct the
primaries, was also reported beaten over allegation that he wanted to
use an already duplicated paper for the election.
One of the aspirants, Coker Bello, said he was cruising to victory when they started 'the attempt to manipulate the election'
In Constituency I of the same area, suspected thugs reportedly disrupted the exercise when the results were being counted.
Oredo East and Oredo West constituency witnessed heavy presence of
security personnel who frisked party officials and delegates. The
exercise, which started with the accreditation of delegates, however
witnessed minor hitches when some delegates' names were missing from the
list.
However, Lion Okoro, in Oredo East emerged the party's candidate with
13 votes, while daughter of former governor of the old Bendel State Dr
Samuel Ogbemudia, Miss Uyi Ogbemudia, emerged the PDP candidate for
Oredo West.
For Ikpoba Okha Constituency, Hon Nicholas Asonsere, emerged candidate,
while in Egor constituency, Nosa Adams picked the party ticket.
In Orhiomwon 1 constituency, Friday Ogieriakhi, who defected to the
PDP, told The Guardian that he emerged the party candidate for the 2015
house of assembly election. While Mathew Erahon, won Orhiomwon
constituency 2 with 13 votes.
In Esan North East, Emmanuel Okoduwa lost while suspended deputy
speaker, Festus Ebea, from Esan South East, and Patrick Iluobe , Esan
North East 1, were retuned unopposed. The Guardian
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