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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The Imo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders from the three zones, have called for the outright cancellation of the party’s delegate congress ahead of the governorship primary election scheduled for Wednesday to elect its candidate for the November 11, 2023 gubernatorial polls .
The PDP chieftains also threatened to use all available legal means to invoke the electoral act, and party legal guidelines if the Leadership of the fails to do the right thing by cancelling what they described as a kangaroo delegate election .
In a communique issued shortly after a meeting in Owerri, Imo State Capital, signed by Chief Anslem Ikwu (Owerri Zone), Chief Eric Ofordirinwa (Orlu Zone) and Chief Ezenna Okoro (Okigwe Zone) respectively expressed dissatisfaction over the alleged conduct of three – man ad hoc election who are supposed to vote in the primary election .
The PDP stakeholders cited a number of issues bothering on gross violation of the electoral act, an abnormality, which they said if not addressed immediately will cost the party of not being in the ballot on November 11, 2023 gubernatorial election.
The statement addressed to the party leadership reads; “We bring to the attention of the National Working Committee (NWC), National Executive Committee (NEC), the Board of Trustees (BOT) and the public of the shoddy three-man ad-hoc delegates election held in Imo State concerning the forthcoming governorship election slated for November 11, 2023.
“We, the critical stakeholders wish to bring to the knowledge of the Imo State indigenes and the world at large of the brazen and unapologetic manner the will of the people were systematically usurped, the wrong and costly decision taken by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, even when it was officially communicated to them to painstakingly select a consensus candidate for the party in order to stop further polarization of the party in the State.”
The group condemned the action, describing it as disheartening and disappointing.
It went further to condemn the committee’s mode of electing the three man ad – hoc delegate and the one man national delegate describing it as brazen contravention of the electoral act.
The communique further reads: “The electoral act is unequivocal and without ambiguity, even in situations where consensus or affirmations are obtainable it must be free, fair and credible.
According to section 84 (8) which stipulates, that it must be done democratically”
The group outrightly frowned at the Imo state situation, where they reported that some party members after procuring forms to participate in the three man ad-hoc delegates’ election, were deliberately left out completely, not knowing when and where the election was held. We are going to use every available legal means if the leadership of the party fails to cancel this kangaroo primary election purportedly conducted in the state without delay ” .
