Delta LG Polls: Aspirant Protest Alleged Imposition of Candidate by PDP

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

An aggrieved chairmanship aspirant in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, Prince Meshach Bebenimibo, has protested against alleged imposition of candidate by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming local government elections in the state.

In a letter addressed to the state Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, he lamented that a primary election was supposed to be held in accordance with the party’s guidelines but reverse was the case in Warri South West council area where an aspirant was singlehandedly nominated by party leaders.

”We were waiting for the primaries to hold but to our surprise, we heard that there were already elected candidates. Unfortunately, no primaries took place, but some elders sat somewhere selected a name for reasons best known to them. This is not democracy, this is killing democracy,” he lamented.

According to the letter, which was made available to journalists in Warri yesterday, the aspirant wrote: “With deep pain I write to intimate you of the latest abnormality that brought Sylvester Oromoni as the PDP flag bearer of Warri South West Local Government Area in the forthcoming local government election.

“I, as a PDP member and  chairmanship aspirant under the PDP, has made a lot of expenses in my campaigns since late last year till this year with other aspirants, only to be shocked of the news that Sylvester Oromoni, who didn’t declare interest to contest even till today, was announced as the flag bearer of our great party (PDP).

“I don’t have any personal issue with Sylvester Oromoni, but I am not happy with the process that brought him as the flag bearer of our great party to represent Warri South West LGA as the chairmanship candidate for the forthcoming election. The process is faulty and comes short of modern democracy being practiced in the world.”

The youthful aspirant urged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, as the leader of the party in the state, to address the anomaly that characterised the process leading to emergence of candidates of the party in the forthcoming local government elections.

“As a listening father, leader of the PDP and Chief Executive Officer of Delta State, I want you to do something about this current development,” he said, urging him to ensure that all expenses made by the aspirants were paid and equally grant them appointments.

Meshach said he had been a loyal party member since inception of the PDP and had had to use personal resources to campaign for the candidates of the party in the past and wondered why the guidelines of the party was manipulated at that point he showed interest to contest for a position.