Owie fumes over Edo South NDC senatorial candidate

From Tony Osauzo, Benin

A former Senate chief whip, Rowland Owie, yesterday, described as fraud, the name of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial candidate for Edo South published by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Commission’s portal had the picture of Sunny Aguebor while it had the name Epelle-Asemota Bridgitte Osayuki as the candidate.

Senator Owie, national leader of the NDC while expressing anger and dismay over the development, said  Aguebor emerged as the candidate of the party in a primary election monitored by the INEC and alleged that a national officer of the party may be responsible for the misplacement.

“The truth is, fraud cannot stand. The duly nominated candidate for Edo South NDC is Sunny Aguebor.

“His primary election was monitored by the INEC, we have the CTC of his nomination from INEC.

“The party uploaded the information to INEC. What they were trying to do was to put that lady’s name but they couldn’t remove Aguebor’s picture.

“Whoever did it is a criminal, it is because we want peace in the party otherwise such a person should have been arrested. It is a criminal act.

“The NDC is a corrective party, we can’t be part of fraud.

“We have written to the INEC to make the necessary corrections. The Major culprit in this matter is the South-South Vice Chairman of the party and we can get him arrested for forgery,” Senator Owie stated.

Chairman of the party, David Olukoga, said NDC was still working with the INEC and that what is in circulation in the social media is not the true situation.

“Those are social media issues, when we are ready, we will publish our lists, we are not done with INEC, when we are done, they will give us our list and we will publish them,” Olukoga added.