PDP chieftains protest Kogi primary election

Category: News Published on Saturday, 16 March 2013 05:00 Written by Usman A. Bello, Lokoja Hits: 487

Protests trailed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s councillorship primary election yesterday in Kogi State, over alleged irregularities.

Party chieftains in Ajaokuta, Yagba East, Olamaboro and Mopa Moro local government areas protested what they described as “a rape of democracy”, saying some elements within the party in the area through hijacked   electoral materials, imposition of candidates and other irregularities.
Weekly Trust gathered that the PDP supporters in Ajaokuta local government area loyal to House of Representatives member from the area, Sadiq Muhammed, boycotted the primary election.
Addressing journalists on behalf of the party supporters at a school in Adogu, Salihu Onde, a former Legal Adviser of the party alleged that the election materials meant for the election were hijacked by Dr. Moses Ado Okino, a former House of Representatives from the area in connivance with the party leadership and diverted to an unknown destination.
According to him, “we are boycotting the election because the party leadership has already given the primary election materials to Dr. Moses Okino’s group that has their support.”
He said the primary election was to commence by 9am at the venue, adding that at about 12 noon, the materials for the election  were yet to arrive, because “they have been hijacked.”
Salihu accused the state party leadership of favouring those who decamped from the ANPP, ACN and CPC to the PDP, thereby marginalising its founding members.
Also, the chairmanship aspirant, Isa Sadiq Ademo said party positions are being rotated among the Ebiya, Eganyi and Ajaokuta districts in the local government area, adding that it is the turn of Ebiya to produce the chairmanship of the council since the  two other districts had already taken the state House of Assembly and House of Representatives positions.
He called on Governor Idris Wada to intervene in  the matter in the interest of the party by ensuring that justice is done.
  Dr. Okino, however, denied the allegations, saying   election materials were distributed at the party secretariat to the returning officers who were assigned to conduct the election.