…aspirants threaten legal action
A frontline chairmanship aspirant for Ughelli North Local Government Area in the forthcoming Delta State Local Government election, and Managing Director of Aduvie Motors; Mr. Richard Ovweghrederohwo has threatened to take the leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to court, should they impose candidate on the people of Ughelli North LGA in the forthcoming local government election.
Mr. Ovweghrederohwo, made this known during a street protest in Ughelli, the administrative headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area over perceived plans by the party’s leaders to impose a candidate of their choice on the people against their will.
He told newsmen that in 2017 he ran for the chairmanship position of the council area but the party leaders in Ughelli North said that the state governor, Sen. (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa has asked him to back out from the race for the incumbent Chairman, Hon. Godwin Adode, adding that as a party faithful, he obeyed, and this is how Hon. Adode was imposed on the good people of Ughelli North.
While condemning the plans of the leaders of the party in the Ughelli North council area to impose a candidate on the electorate, he said it will not be accepted and that it will be highly resisted; adding that primary election strengthens the party, but that imposition of candidates is a threat to its growth.
When asked his option if the party’s leaders decided to go ahead with their plans to impose a candidate on the people, he said he will approach a competent law court to challenge the decision.
While calling on the state Governor and state chairman of PDP to reign in the leaders of the party in Ughelli North Local Government Area, he reminded the state governor of the need to strengthen PDP in Ughelli North Local Government Area.
Comrade Felix Olokpa (JP), the immediate past PDP Youths Leader of the council area who also spoke during the street protest harped on free and fair primary and a level playground for all the aspirants.
According to him, the low votes recorded in the previous elections in the council area was as a result of grievances from the imposition of candidates against the will of the people by the leaders of the party.
“We need a free and fair playground for all the aspirants in the forthcoming local government election. We don’t want the system of imposing candidates on the people of Ughelli anymore because it has destroyed the party in Ughelli north that is why we are having a low vote in the council.
“Chairmen of a local government area need not be imposed on the people he will rule, the people should be allowed to choose who to rule them. But a situation where some unscrupulous leaders will hold a kangaroo meeting and impose a candidate on will be highly resisted.
“When you impose a candidate on the people he will not be answerable to people and them people will not have a say over the candidate you imposed on them but if you allow them to choose a candidate of their choice the candidate will listen to them, we are not against any of the aspirants neither the incumbent chairman of the council but all we are saying is that the era of imposition is gone in Ughelli North council all the aspirants should pass through the primary.
“Any attempt to impose an aspirant or a candidate on the people of Ughelli north in the forthcoming LGA election in the state, there will be no general election in the council area if they won’t kill us let them come and kill us, we will resist it with our last drop of blood.”
The protesters in their hundreds, bearing placards with various inscriptions – “No primary election, No general election; “Local government is for the youths and the youths should be allowed determine who to be their chairman”; ‘PDP is our party we need a free and fair election”, Ughelli North leaders take note”; “Gov. Okowa please allow chairmanship candidates to go for primary in Ughelli North for peace to reign”, barricaded the entrance to the party secretariat.