• Opposition party asks Anyanwu to step aside as national scribe
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has derailed from its main objective as electoral umpire.
Acting National Chairman, who stated this, while briefing newsmen, at the end of the opposition party’s National Working Committee (NWC) meeting, in Abuja, yesterday, said conduct of INEC in last Saturday’s governorship elections, in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa, has confirmed this about the electoral umpire.
The PDP leader, while noting that the citizens have completely lost faith in the electoral body, said the last elections were allegedly worst than the earlier ones.
“We have seen all sorts of violence, intimidation and high handedness. This has further confirmed that the electoral body has completely derailed from the road it was supposed to take. People have lost confidence; voters were completely disenfranchised due to the complicity of some of the agencies that were to help to have a very fair election but they completely compromised. This election is worst than even the one we had earlier. I want to use this medium to tell Nigerians that this is not what we bargained for and also express our fear that if we go on in this kind of manner, I am afraid that in other elections that will be off season, coming up very soon, there may be no election in this country. It will be a written result.”
Damagum, while speaking on the state of the PDP, said the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, has been asked to step aside, pending the determination of suits on his continued stay in office as the chief scribe of the opposition party.
Some PDP leaders in the South East, recently nominated Sunday Ude-Okoye to replace Anyanwu, who was the party’s candidate in the just concluded Imo governorship election, saying the latter cannot be governorship candidate and national secretary at the same time. However, the issue has resulted in litigations.
The PDP chairman said: “Since there are conflicting court orders, we urged the two sides to stand down and we have agreed and appointed the deputy national secretary to continue to act as secretary; pending the time we will resolve all the issues; the conflicting court orders and resolutions of the South East. So, there is no conflict and we are together and thinking together on this issue.”
He implored PDP members to be very cautious, “especially in the way and manner they state things. They should always state facts because it is only the facts that lasts. I want to assure them, we will continue to do justice to all.
“We are ready to take all the blames; because after every election, there will be blames. But all members should reflect on the roles they played during campaigns, during elections and after. We should have a self-reflection so that at the end of the day, we shall know weather we are doing the right thing because we all need this party. Our duty here is to make sure this party remains indivisible.”