A Chairman aspirant in the forthcoming Council election in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Richard Ovweghrederohwo has joined hundreds of protesters to kick against alleged imposition of candidates by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in their area.
The peaceful protesters barricaded the entrance to the Party’s Secretariat.
The protesters who are mostly PDP members carried placards with inscriptions such as, “No primary election, No general election, Local government is for the youths and the youths should be allowed determine who will be their chairman, ‘’PDP is our party we need free and fair election, Ughelli north leaders take note,” “Gov. Okowa please allow chairmanship candidates to go for primary in Ughelli north for peace to reign”.
In a chat with newsmen, the Chairmanship Aspirant, Ovweghrederohwo threatened to drag the leadership of the PDP to Court if they attempt to impose any candidate on the people of Ughelli.
“I will approach a competent law court to challenge the decisions of the party leaders if they try to impose any candidate on us,” he said.
Ovweghrederohwo, who is the managing director of Aduvie Motors, noted that he contested the chairmanship position in 2017 but the party leaders said that Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa had asked him to back out from the race for the incumbent chairman, Hon. Godwin Adode, as a party faithful.
In his words, “I obeyed and this is how he was imposed on the good people of Ughelli North.”
Ovweghrederohwo urged Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa to call the party’s leaders to order.
He said “PDP was not destroyed before he (Governor Okowa) came into power. So, he should not allow it to be destroyed as he is leaving.”
The immediate past PDP Youth Leader in the area, Comrade Felix Olokpa harped on free and fair primary and a level playground for all the aspirants.
“We need a free and fair playground for all the aspirants in the forthcoming local government election, we don’t want the system of imposing candidates on the people of Ughelli anymore because it has destroyed the party in Ughelli North. That is why we are having low votes in the Council.
“Chairmen of a local government area need not to be imposed on the people he will rule, the people should be allowed to choose who to rule them but a situation where some unscrupulous leaders will hold a kangaroo meeting and impose a candidate on us will be highly resisted.”
