From Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia
The people of Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State, yesterday, protested attempts by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to conduct a fresh ward primaries.
They wondered why there should be another primaries after the one which produced consensus candidates from various wards in the local government area.
The protest which took place at the council headquarters was led mostly by women and youths who carried placards that showed their displeasure over the decision of the party to cancel what they said was the fairest primaries ever conducted in the council area .
This is the third time they are protesting the party’s announcement of the cancellation of the exercise since October 21, when the primaries was held.
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the state electoral body, the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) of partisanship.
The APC expressed doubts over their neutrality and sincerity to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
The party had also questioned the level of transparency in the activities of ABSIEC, as well as their will to comply with the Electoral Act in the processes leading to the elections.
The state electoral body, after over five years of running the third tier of government under a caretaker arrangement, fixed the elections in all the 17 local government councils and 292 ABSIEC wards for December 17, 2016.
But the state APC Publicity Secretary, Comrade Benedict Godson told Daily Sun in Abuja yesterday that the party is fast losing confidence in the state electoral commission, alleging that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has hijacked the electoral commission for the purposes of interpreting the already written script, with the support of the state security apparatus.
The first two protests were held at the party’s headquarters in Umuahia immediately the announcement was heard on air.
Some protesters who spoke to newsmen alleged that the state’s party leadership organised the rerun primaries because they believe those that emerged winners are not candidates anointed by the powers that be in the state.
Nwankpa Blessing, who won the primaries election from ward 18 of Osisioma Ngwa LGA during the last exercise said the last primaries the party held was peaceful as consensus winners emerged.
“ Those who lost even congratulated the winners, and to their greatest surprise, there was announcement on the state radio that the primaries was cancelled.
“So, we said no, we have done the primaries and cannot allow it to be repeated to give chance to interested god fathers to impose their unpopular candidates on the people. What we want is for the Onuigbo-led executive to release the result of the primaries conducted here and not to conduct another primaries. We believe that Onuigbo is being influenced to do what he is doing. We don’t want any impunity in this local government . For peace to rain here, they must release the result.”
Also Speaking, Egbu Gospel Mbakwe Councillor ship Candidate of Okpuhu Umuobo ward 10, described as unfortunate the attempt by the PDP leadership to sweep a free and fair primaries under the carpet to enable them impose candidates on the people.
“I emerged as the winner of the primaries and my opponent congratulated me. What we heard is that they have already compiled the list of those they want to emerged and if we allow them to come and do anything here, they will go back to Umuahia and announced that those in the list are the winners , so we said that there will be no imposition of candidates here in Osisioma”.
In his own reaction, Ajuzie Ahaoma , from Umunne Ise, Okpuala ward 9 said that he was delivered as the most popular candidate in his ward and he emerged as winner, but was surprised to hear that they are going to do a rerun .
“We are here to tell them that it cannot be done unless they want to cause trouble in Osisioma LGA which is not the best”, he said.
Following series of protests, which started since the day the announcement for the cancellation of the primaries was made, Peoples Democratic party leadership in Abia seem to be having a rethink over the demand of the people of Osisioma Ngwa.
Meanwhile, they have set up and inaugurated a panel of seven men of “impeccable” Character to look into the cause of the protest and proffer solution to them , led by one Barr. Ukpai Ukairo, an Aba based Legal practitioner. END