Despite series of protest and alleged millions of naira bribery leveled against the Delta state chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kingsley Esiso and his Exco, the party on Monday presented to the public it’s chairmanship and vice chairmanship candidates for the January, 6, local government councils elections.
Presenting the party’s candidates to the Press Monday amidst protest by PDP members of Warri South West local government area of the state over imposition of the chairmanship candidate on the Itsekiri nationality by the state Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro, the party chairman, Esiso, said, “Our party, the PDP is prepared to go and campaign vigorously for our candidates”,
Esiso stressed that the party’s candidates have what it takes to win elections, “because they have all been carefully, thoroughly screened after which they passed through the primary process and they emerged victorious in their respective constituencies”.
Esiso disclosed that the party would also leverage on the successful two years administration of the governor Okowa led administration to launch its campaign across the 25 council areas, an administration which has been generally adjudged to have massively failed Deltans since May 29 2015 when Okowa assumed office as governor of the state.
“We are going out there to campaign, basing our campaign on the achievement of the PDP led government ably led by our governor Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, believing that in the past two years plus the PDP led government in Delta State has delivered on our campaign promises which include superlative infrastructural development, including constructions and innovations of roads.
“Construction and renovation of schools, constructions and renovation of markets and health centres, hospitals and of course creating jobs for our youths through the office of job creation which has gone a long way in empowering our youths. Consequently, I believe that Deltans are waiting for us to support our candidates trusting in the contributions of the party in the state in developing our people.
“There is no doubt that in the past two years plus Deltans have been rejoicing with the service been rendered by our party through our governor in meeting their needs as he promised them during our campaigns before the 2015 elections. So, we believed that because PDP have delivered on our promises to our people, Deltans will always again and again vote PDP all the way. Therefore the 2018 local government election will not be a different.” Esiso said.
Meanwhile the protesting PDP members from the Warri South West local government area of the state who besieged the state party Secretariat with placards alleged that the Deputy Governor of the state, Kingsley Otuaro, imposed one of his associates, one Taiye Duke Tuoyo, whom the people referred to as “strange candidate” on them.
Also protesting, the party members from Warri North council area dared the leadership of the party amidst fierce looking mobile policemen and went wide in the secretariat.
Our correspondent reports that in all the 25 local government councils, there is either an imposition of a councillorship or a chairmanship candidate against the wish of the people which has thrown up protests against the party and the leaders at both wards and local government areas.
Political analysts who have followed the trends have opined that these crises may have a negative effect on the party before, during and after the local government polls as some aggrieved members may use the platform to defect to other political parties that are ready to accommodate them.
