Peoples Democratic Party PDP Stakeholders in Abia State have rejected the delegates list and called for fresh congresses to be held.
The stakeholders also called on the National Working Committee of the party to address the problems affecting the party which they insist can lead to a major destructive implosion of the party in the state.
Addressing news conference at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, the stakeholders led by Senate minority leader Enyinnaya Abaribe said if the development was not stopped, it could spell doom for the party ahead of the 2023 general election not only in Abia State but in the South East as a whole.
Senator Abaribe said subverting the wishes and aspirations of the people was the height of impunity that the people must resist, particularly the National Working Committee of the great party.
He said “There was not and has never been any Ward Congress to elect the 3-man Adhoc delegates in Abia State. The congress, earlier scheduled to hold on 30th April, 2022 was cancelled due to a court order and therefore, could not hold. It was re-scheduled to hold on May 4th 2022. It also failed to hold on that date because of a public holiday declared in Abia State and since then none has been held, neither has there been any communication for another congress by PDP National Headquarters”
“This can be verified vide an official letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that confirmed the last official communication between it and PDP to the effect that no congresses to elect the 3-man Ad-hoc delegates for the party primary elections has held up till today (See Attachment” he said.
“We heard via rumours that there is a list of adhoc delegates flying around and in the custody of the NWC purporting it to have been a product of a congress held on 6th May 2022″ he stressed.
“It is preposterous that what is being bandied as a list emanated from an imaginary congress conducted vide a letter of notice to the Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner signed by the Abia State Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Allwell Asiforo Okere. The implication being that the functions of NEC and NWC was performed by a State Chairman of the party and NOT the National Chairman and Secretary of PDP.
The stakeholders urged the party, to disregard any of such list especially now that lndependent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had come forward to clarify that it neither received any communication from the PDP National Chairman and the National Secretary to participate nor did it monitor any such exercise as required by both the INEC Guidelines for Political Parties which stipulates a mandatory 7-day notice to the Commission.
Senator Abaribe said National Legal adviser of the party knows the implications of going ahead to use such legally unknown delegates in the primary elections and should advise the NWC accordingly, unless the party wants to enjoy the unenviable luxury of walking towards self-destruction.
“It will be imprudent for the NWC to be seen to have allowed its powers to be so usurped knowing the dire consequences of such action on the electoral process and the quest to enhance the fortunes of the party in the 2023 General elections” said Senator Abaribe.
He said the NWC should as a matter of fact know that the State Chairman’s actions with that letter failed to satisfy the requirements of the law as it was the NWC and the NEC of the party that had the exclusive prerogative to give notice to INEC and to conduct party congresses and primaries, and any such notice given and congresses conducted by any State Executive as purportedly done in this case was null and void.
“As party members who love and cherish our great party it is also our duty to lend our voice and contribute towards steering it out of a potentially calamitous journey which will likely lead Abia PDP to have NO candidates in the 2023 elections —We therefore urge the NWC of our great party to use ONLY STATUTORY (AUTOMATIC) delegates for the forthcoming primaries to avoid a looming disaster for all our aspirants at all levels in Abia State” he remarked.
” While doing this we also wish to let the NWC know that we have also heard of plans to doctor the authentic Statutory Delegate list.
“We know who the statutory delegates are and have therefore as a matter of urgency applied for the Certified True Copy of the list from the Nationa Organizing Secretary of the party and from INEC” the Stakeholders said.
Nnenna.O
