PDP NWC moves against imposition of governorship aspirants in 2015

The National Working Committee (NWC) at its meeting Thursday, October 9, 2014 noted that some elected officers of our great Party at the state level have continued to engage in processes aimed at endorsing candidates for the 2015 general elections despite warnings from the national leadership that they, as unbiased umpires should not involved in such. The NWC strongly frowns at this development and issues this as a final warning to all elected party officials and chapters at all levels, and shall not hesitate to sanction such erring officers or chapters. 

The sanctity of our nomination processes must be protected at all times. We therefore wish to assure all party members that there shall be a levelplaying ground for all aspirants intending to participate in the nomination processes.

It therefore means that the recent endorsement of Mr. Udom Emmanuel by Local Government Bosses and other party faithful has hit rock. Consequently, the NWC will not hesitate to protect any of our members who in any way stands to be shortchanged, cheated or victimized by such endorsements. The NWC charges all our members and supporters therefore to disregard all such endorsements as the PDP will conduct primaries to duly elect our flag bearers in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the constitution of our great party. 

Meanwhile “The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Olisa Metuh, on Thursday assured party members that its leadership would not allow the imposition of candidates on members in any state of the federation. He gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja while addressing some aggrieved Ijaw youths from Rivers who stormed the party national headquarters. The youths were protesting against an alleged plan to impose an indigene on the people of the state. The PDP spokesman said that the party members would be given the opportunity to elect and nominate aspirants of their choice who would eventually become the party‘s candidates for elections in 2015. “We are promising you that that is what will happen in Rivers and every single state of the federation. “Our party is against consensus candidate and any idea of intimidating the people. There should be no intimidation and coercion,’’ he said. Metuh, while urging the protesters to remain calm, said the party would continue to uphold true democratic tenets and principles in its nomination processes.

 He, however, advised the youth to motivate and mobilise their people to come out and vote for their candidates in the 2015 general elections. Mr Oni Quakers from Kalabari, who spoke on behalf of the youth, said they were protesting the imposition of Ikwere indigenes on the people as the state‘s next governor. He stressed that Ikweres had ruled the state for 16 years, adding that it was time for the Ijaws to rule the state. Our reporter gathered that the PDP National Presidential Campaign Office, venue of the PDP South South Integration Committee’s sitting, was besieged by aggrieved members.

An Ijaw political stakeholder, Chief Sara Egbe from Aku Local Government Area of Rivers and a founding member of the PDP, decried the situation. He said that unless the national leadership of the party ensured true reconciliation among aggrieved members of the party in Rivers, the PDP might lose the state in 2015. Delegates from Rivers were the second to appear before the committee, headed by Sen. Iya Abubakar. The committee is expected to receive memoranda from party members from South South, to enable the party to address some issues.”