PDP youth threaten to defect over LGs’ chairmen selection



Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth group in Cross Rivers state, Wednesday, threatened to defect from the ruling party if the valid process of conducting primary elections for the selection of candidates for the forthcoming local government council polls were not observed.

The group besieged the party’s national secretariat, Abuja to protest against what they called the imposition of local government chairmen and vice-chairmen by the state governor, Professor Ben Ayade.

The group under the auspices of Yala Political Development Forum led by Ogar Joseph Odey accused the governor of single-handedly handpicking his cronies for the positions of chairmen and vice-chairmen of the local governments.

The group insisted that the governor took the unilateral action without resorting to the constitutional provisions for selecting candidates for these offices.

They said primary elections ought to have been conducted to select the candidates and added that without valid primaries conducted across the state, they would be left with no option but to quit the PDP for good.

The protesters carried various placards with the inscriptions, “Ayade, let the people choose their leaders, “Secondus, say no to impunity, “Imposition is demonic” and “Emperor Ayade must leave Yala alone,”.

The group said the level of nepotism brought to the fore in the emergence of the council chairs and their deputies was unheard of in the history of the state.

Speaking later, Odey listed the demands of the forum to include an outright cancellation “of that sham primary election and that a proper primary should be conducted.

All aspirants should be given equal opportunity to contest and whoever emerges winner (s) shall have our full support. The party should uphold the existing zoning arrangement in the state.”

“Governor Ayade without recourse to the people, sat down and selected his cronies undemocratically which was confirmed and reaffirmed by his returning officers.”

Receiving them for the national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, the national vice-chairman (North-Central), Theophilus Bakashan, promised their complaints would be looked into by the party NEC.

He assured that he would brief Secondus who he said was out “an important assignment for the party,” and urged them against resort to misconduct but to remain peaceful and orderly.

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