From Mba Nnenna- Abakaliki
At least 4 Guber Aspirants from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have withdrawn from the party primaries due to alleged irregularities.
The aspirants are; Dr Augustine Nwazunku, Hon Chukwuma Nwazunku former EBOSACA Secretary and member representing Ebonyi/ Ishielu Federal Constituency , Dr Eze Emmanuel Eze (Immaculate) business tycoon, and Hon Sylvester Ogbaga member representing Abakaliki/ Izzi Federal constituency.
During an interview with Press men at the PDP party Secretariat Abakaliki, the aspirants pointed out non transparency, irregularities among others to have marred the exercise.
Dr Augustine Nwazunku one of the aspirants described the election as a busy market place.
“This is our party office. So when we got the notice that election will be going on here, we came. We’ve been waiting since.
“And as at now, if you look around this is more or less a very busy market. It looks like a busy, busy market place. You don’t know who is here. There’s no display of the delegates’ list. And you just say this person, and everybody starts marching to wherever one is guided to match to. So from the beginning, this governorship election is more or less, it didn’t hold. The supervisory Committee we were told they are here. Even if I meet them, I don’t know them. I saw people that were wearing tags. I wouldn’t go to ask, ‘who are you?”
Another aspirant Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku said “I’m not happy at all. But I know exactly what I’ll do. So I’m not going to stand for this type of thing. Because what is happening here, you can witness what is happening here is a show of shame. I don’t see the reason why. Where people will be conducting election and they cannot allow even you as an aspirant to talk to your observers/delegates. They will be treating you as if you’re not a human being. So for me, I believe that this type of thing can never for any reason stand.”
Also Dr Eze Emmanuel Eze a business tycoon hinted that the happenings at the venue of the election is unfortunate.
“Let me start by
saying what has been happening in our party is an unfortunate situation. Coming from a private sector where things are usually organized. Where we think we take time to do things in due processes. I’m shocked at what has become Nigerian politics and election. I came into this election to make a difference. I’ve campaigned vigorously. What happened today is anything but a charade. First there are no delegate list. Second, there are no result sheets. Third, there are no officials from Abuja. What we saw and what we heard, are people with tags who were introduced as Secretaries.”
On the notification of election Dr Eze said it was received and duly signed by the National Chairman and Secretary. It indicated the sequence of the election.
“We are supposed to do House of Assembly, Reps and Senate one day, and we do Guber the next day. Suddenly, the Chairman on his own accord, without consultation to the aspirants, decided that he’s going to run the entire election one day. You can see everywhere is dark, nobody really knows who is who. So the process is already designed to achieve an evil result. And I will not be party to that.”(he said)
Another aspirant Sylvester Ogbaga described the election as a show of shame while noting that it is personalized.
“I’ve looked at the processes that is going to produce a governorship Candidate. And I look at it to be very faulty, beginning from the accreditation format. Where the compound is littered with crowd of people that are not identified. And the mode of entry has no direction. For this reason you see the process that its not transparent and you follow it up. Its not transparent and I personally Sylvester Ogbaga, will not start a thing that will produce shame. Its a show of shame and personalized. And for this reason, I won’t stand this election. I will leave with my people.”(Ogbaga said)
When asked if he’ll challenge the electoral process in court/ his next line of action? He said “its personal. I have to leave the Secretariat to go home. I have a family and followers. Whatever my followers advises is what I’ll do. No one person runs election.”(he said)
