From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akoko-Edo constituency, yesterday, protested the imposition of chairmanship candidate on them, saying, the action negates the party’s directive that says aspirant must win his ward before contesting for the chairmanship position in the forthcoming local government election in the state.
In protest letter signed by Chief Sunny Okomayin and presented to Mr. Osasere Adagbonyin, Administrative Secretary, Edo State chapter of PDP at the party’s secretariat in Benin, for onward delivery to the party’s chairman, Anthony Aziegbemi titled “Restoration of stolen mandate”, said the Akoko-Edo constituency vehemently kicked against the attempt to superimpose the person of Tajudeen Alade on Sylvester Amune who won the local government chairmanship primaries.
Okomayin said Amune won the primaries and EDSIEC has declared him winner and even went as far as publishing his name.
“We the Leaders and Constituents of Akoko Edo Local Government Area hereby reject in absolute terms the attempt to substitute the mandate we willingly and willfully gave to Sylvester Amune during the last PDP Local Government Area Chairmanship primaries held recently at igarra.
“Amune won overwhelmingly due to our unanimous resolve to endorse him as our candidate for the chairmanship election scheduled for September 2, 2023.
“EDSIEC declared him as the winner of the primaries and published his name accordingly to the admiration of the entire Local Government Area”, Okomayin said, adding that the so-called Tajudeen Alade that has been superimposed on them, was never cleared in the first instance to contest in the primaries and wonders how he is now the chairmanship candidate for the forthcoming election.
“However, to our greatest surprise and chargein, Engr. Amune’s name has now been substituted with Tajudeen Alade who did not meet the basic party’s stipulated requirement that every aspirant for the post of Local Government Area must win his unit and ward and so was initially not cleared by the Party’s Screening Committee to go for primaries.
“How he later got cleared after the initial disqualification is still mystery to all of us.
“Above no withstanding, on the day of primaries, Tajudeen Alade disrupted the proceedings on the ground that the delegates list generated by the party did not favour him.
“However, the primaries took place when normalcy was restored and Amune declared the winner and his name published by EDSEIC.
“We have been reliably informed that the state party leadership has subverted the will of the people by substituting Engr. Amune’s name with Tajudeen Alade.
“This is highly incomprehensible and totally unacceptable”, Okomayin said.
Responding, the state chairman of the party, Anthony Aziegbemi, said the party will look into their complaints just as he admonished the aggrieved protesters to go about their protest peacefully.