….Appeal To Utuama For Intervention
SAN FRANCISCO, August 28, (THEWILL) – Contrary to reports that the People Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship primaries was held in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, five of the PDP aspirants expected to contest the primaries have alleged that no election was held at the LGA.
They therefore called on the state’s Deputy Governor, Prof Amos Utuama, who also hails from the local government area to intervene in the matter before the PDP is torn apart.
The aggrieved aspirants accused one Chief John Oguma, a party chieftain in the area, for trying to subvert the party’s political machinery.
This came against the backdrop of a publication in one of the national dailies credited to Oguma in which he reportedly claimed that primary elections were held in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.
But the aggrieved aspirants warned that if urgent steps are not taken, the said Oguma would ‘scatter’ the party and ‘destroy’ its structure before 2015.
They also accused Oguma of usurping the ‘office’ of the deputy governor who they said is the leader of PDP in the area.
In a joint statement signed by Hon. Princess Josephine Oduaran, Dr. Amos Itihwe, Hon. Vincent Otidi, Olorogun Godspower Muemuefo, and Hon. Andrew Adushoke, the aggrieved aspirants maintained that there was no election in the area, insisting that Oguma only hand-picked a candidate in the area to the detriment of the others.
“What was published about us in Sunday Vanguard is nothing but tissues of lies. No primary was held in Ughelli South Local Government Area by PDP. Chief John Oguma and other leaders of the party in Ughelli South council area are not telling the people the truth of what happened.
“We are still standing by our earlier publication in some dailies that a candidate was hand-picked by Chief Oguma and other leaders of the party and this is why we are appealing to the State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, to urgently intervene by calling Chief Oguma to order before he destroys PDP structure in the area.
“No primary was held and nobody emerged; what Chief Oguma and his co-travelers are doing is a calculated attempt to destroy PDP structure. We want our amiable Deputy Governor to step into the matter.
“We are not out for war, but for peace. We want justice to be done because the selection process was undemocratic.
“As aspirants, we want our interests to be involved and well protected because as it is now, we are being ill-treated and this is not good enough for democracy.
“How can responsible old men lie, even His Excellency is aware that there was no primary in Ughelli South. The publication is all lies. It is the figment of the imagination of the so-called leaders of Ewu. There was no primary held and nobody emerged as a winner.
“The truth of the matter is that they are only trying to cover up their evil deeds, especially the originator of that publication, Chief John Oguma, who claimed to be an Ewu leader, whereas he is not from Ewu,” the statement said.
