Press Statement
Don’t Tamper With Elumelu’s Victory – Group Warns PDP
Our attention has been drawn to the clandestine move by some persons imploring the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party to substitute the name of the winner of the PDP Primary Election for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu with the name of Mrs Joan Amaechi Mrakpor who lost the primary election to the later.
It will be recalled that a transparent primary election of the party for the said Federal Constituency was conducted on October 3rd 2018 and Hon. Ndudi Elumelu was declared winner of the primary by the PDP Returning Officer haven polled 266 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mrs. Mrakpor who polled 226 votes.
Hence, the sponsored fake news report making round in some circles alleging of the move by some persons to substitute Hon. Elumelu’s name with that of Mrs. Mrakpor is highly detestable and capable of plunging the party in to avoidable crisis.
We therefore urge the National Working Committee of the PDP led by Prince Uche Secondus not to succumb to the pressure to substitute Elumelu’s name with Mrs. Mrakpor.
We also urge the Independent National Electoral Commission to strictly ensure that only the name of the candidate who emerged from the primary election it monitored in the said Federal Constituency that is duly submitted to it by the leadership of the party.
In similar vein, we advise Mrs. Mrakpor to accept defeat and stop bringing the party’s name to infamy and public odium.
We believe the greatest concern of the PDP in Delta State should be on how to stop the APC from taking over the entire state in 2019 and as a result, we demand that all hands must be on deck in this regard.
Therefore, we call on the leadership of the party to appropriately sanction anybody found sponsoring fake news report against the party and it’s credible, free and fair primaries in Delta State.
Signed:
Mr. Edwin Innocent,
National Coordinator,
National Youths Vanguard for Democracy