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Scores of protesters have stormed the secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party in Ogun State over alleged imposition of a candidate on them.
The protesters alleged that an aspirant for the position of House of Representative, Mustapha Sikiru was nominated for the Ado-Odo Ota constituency when there was no real primary election.
The deputy chairman of the PDP in the local government, Hon. Leye Odunjo who was not aware of the nomination, said the injustice will be corrected.
Narrating what transpired at the Party’s secretariat, Hon. Odunjo said, “actually, I just saw my people at the secretariat. I was like, what happened and why are they at the Secretariat in a large number.
“They said they got the hint that somebody’s name has been submitted at the headquarters of the party as the nominated candidate for the Federal House of Representative, Ado-Odo Ota.
“I asked them who did that and whose name was submitted? They told me they have the evidence and one Mustapha Sikiru’s name was submitted.
“I told them nobody can do that in my local government where I am the state deputy chairman.”
The deputy chairman of the LG recalled that the election for the House of Representative was stalled and suspended due to circumstances.
He further said, “There was no house of Rep election in my local government, why will they say somebody’s name was submitted.
“I would have sent those people back because it is annoying.”
The party state chairman cleared that imposition is against the Nigeria constitution, adding that the law of the party is against it.
He, however, noted that such is against the law and ‘illegal’
“In my LG, how would they do that without my knowledge? It is illegal. It is criminal. To send the name of somebody that was not even voted for at the primary.
“The Electoral Act frown against such likewise the constitution of Nigeria.
“The constitution of the party does not say that you can just go and pick a person without proper process of election.
“There was no primary election at all.
“They said they cannot just go and pick somebody. Those people have been waiting for the party calling for rerun of the primary election or taking a decision that will be known to everyone. ”
He narrated that the aspirants did not concede to consensus hence, there right will be given to them.
“We have three aspirants. The other two do not know how they came about nominating or picking a candidate.
“The three of them must be in the know of what the party is going to do. The party cannot just go and pick somebody.
“There was no primary. That day, on the 22nd of May, was supposed to be the day for the primary. First of all, the electoral body came late around 8 in the night.
“The house of assembly primary was supposed to be taken first, before the house of Rep.
“They were about to start the primary when they noticed that two names of the aspirants were missing. Then the problem started.
“The party now invited all the delegates to the party’s secretariat. All delegates were there. They did the primary election for the House of Assembly and that of the house of Rep was not done.
“8 p.m. in the night, my chairman told us that the election cannot hold.
“The secretary was directed to address the three aspirants and they were addressed and told that there was not going to be an election that day and they will get back to them.
“Till date, they are yet to get back to them.
“That will be injustice. You don’t get back to them and you now send a result that there was a primary election in my LG, without my knowledge? And they sent results to Abuja that an election was conducted.
“Well, I am not the aspirant. I am sure the aspirants will take the necessary steps themselves. They have to fight for themselves.”
