Ahead of the 2019 general elections, leaders and political stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Aniocha North local government area chapter of Delta state, have unanimously rejected what they called automatic ticket for any House of Assembly aspirants in the area.
Arising from a crucial meeting held Tuesday, at the party’s secretariat in Issele-uku, headquarters of the local government area, leaders and political stakeholders of the party emphatically echoed the pronouncement and avowed commitment of the state governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to ensuring a level playing field for all party aspirants ahead of the party primaries slated for later date in 2018.
The crucial enlarged stakeholders meeting, which was attended by top stakeholders of the party in the council area including; Mrs. Nkem Okwuofu, Mr. Dan Okenyi, Mrs. Ada Josephine Kachikwu, Mr. Krees Njiokwuemeni, Mr. Victor Egbune, Mr. Val Okafor and the Aniocha North council chairman, Mr. Chuks Oseme, amongst others, resolved categorically that the party’s structure needed to be strengthened so as to give PDP an edge in the 2019 general elections.
The stakeholders equally condemned any attempt to subvert or disregard the resolutions reached after the last peace meeting, held at the instance of the state chapter of the party, in which it was resolved that all bonafide members of the party in local government who are interested in vying for any elective position, should do so in line with the governor’s admonition and directive of ensuring a level playing field during the primaries.
The meeting therefore urged all party members to be united and eschew politics of acrimony, noting that anybody who flaunts the governor ‘s directive by working against or sabotaging the provision of a level playing field for all aspirants during the primaries, will be brought to book and disciplined according to party rules.
Some of the leaders who spoke with newsmen after the crucial meeting, seriously advised those fanning the embers of disunity by their utterances, to desist forthwith, even as they also condemned the purported attempt by some intending aspirants, to drag the name of the governor’s father, Arthur Okowa, into Aniocha North politics.
“By alleging that the well respected octogenerian had promised automatic ticket to some particular aspirants in the state, in clear violation of the vow of the National party chairman, Chief Uche secondus, who had already pledged to organize an all inclusive party primaries that will not only guarantee a level playing field for all aspirants, but would also ensure total victory for the PDP at all levels, in the 2019 elections.”
It will be recalled that prior to the 2015 general elections in Aniocha North, the lingering issues surrounding the Delta House of Assembly primaries for the constituency ticket, could not and had not been resolved amicably, due to allegations that the primaries had been shrouded in questionable secrecy, thus leading to litigations among the aspirants, after the polls.
Our correspondent reports that it is however hoped that the new resolve to give a level playing field to all contestants, will make the party in Aniocha North more united and virile to overcome all hitherto faced challenges ahead of the 2019 general elections in the local government area.