Adibe Emenyonu
Political temper was heightened yesterday in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State over the sudden disappearance of Kenneth Imansuangbon’s name from the state list of national delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Following the development, a social political pressure group, ‘Esan South East for Justice’, yesterday condemned the alleged removal, describing the action as criminal and undemocratic.
Imansuangbon had last weekend at a congress of the party conducted in Ubiaja, the administrative headquarters of Esan South East LGA and supervised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), won with 156 votes against his opponent Giwa Agbomherere, who scored 50 votes.
The group, while appealing to the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to intervene in the matter, also called on INEC, the police and the DSS to investigate and ensure that those behind the dastardly act are exposed to save democracy.
In a statement issued by the Coordinator of the group in Benin-city, Imafidon Ernest, it said the report to disenfranchised the former PDP governorship aspirant from the delegates’ list is undemocratic, calling on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to call to order the state Chairman of the party, Tony Aziegbemi, and his cohorts.
They also expressed shock that despite the fact that the congress was conducted in a convivial atmosphere and the people elected their preferred representatives for the forthcoming national convention of the party and certificate issued to the winner, Imansuagbon, some dubious characters went ahead and submitted fake list to the national leadership of the party and delisted the delegate for Esan South East LGA.
According to the group, “It is no longer news to our group that the party’s state chairman is out to do the hatchet bidding of his pay masters to the detriment of the people of his locality where he hails from. What a shame!
“We are, however, using the opportunity to call on the national leadership of the party led by Iyorchia Ayu to intervene quickly against this impunity. It is clear that the action of these perpetrators is fueled by greed, political gangsterism, criminal tendency and selfishness to continue to fuel crisis and division in the state PDP.
“As a group, we are drawing the attention of the leadership of the party to address this anomaly. The people of Esan South East have spoken loud and clear last weekend with their votes through the choice of Imansuangbon as their delegate.
