LAGOS JULY 29TH (URHOBOTODAY)-A political pressure group in Sapele that styles itself as Sapele Okpe Network for Equity and Justice (SONEJ) has raise alarm of a likely crisis in the People Democratic Party, PDP Sapele Local Government Area, following what the group described as unwholesome activities of some PDP leaders who have hijacked and shared among themselves, the 20 councilors slots in the coming LG election.
In a press statement after an emergency meeting of the group on Friday in Sapele, signed by its National Chairman Comrade Oyibo Onomor and Ovie Edafe, the National Secretary alleged that Chief Paulinous Akpeki, Commissioner for Housing, Chief Monday Igbuya, member representing Sapele in the State House Assembly and Mr. Austin Aiyemidejor, Director Asaba Airport project, allegedly shared all the 20 Councillors slots for the 20 Wards without consulting or carrying other leaders along.
The group noted that the three leaders met at Asaba over the week and shared the 20 slots among themselves, noting that if urgent steps are not taking to address this anomaly, the gain recorded by the effort of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan that gave the party an overwhelming victory in the Delta Central Senatorial by-election would be lost.
According to the group,’ “what the three of them are doing is not only unjust, but is the height of political rascality and insensitivity. How can only Hon. Igbuya who in the immediate past LG executive produced 10 councilors, in the care-taker committee also produced the Chairman and10 councillors is he the only one in Sapele?”
“This time because of Akpeki’s governorship aspiration he agreed that Hon. Igbuya takes 10, while he took five slots and gave four to Aiyemidejor and one to Chief Margret Unukegwe, so what happened to other leaders and the founding members of PDP in Sapele?
They also added that the three persons have been in government since 1999, stressing that it is time for others to be allowed to take part in the governance of the state, by giving opportunity serve.
“Is it not a political aberration for only Hon. Igbuya, to produce all the 20 Wards executives including the chairman and the secretary? It is high time the leadership of PDP come out to tell us how much they sold the party to him. They revealed that in the same Hon. Igbuya’s selfish aspiration to become a speaker in 2015, he is already working against Urhobos governorship quest.
“To tell you how selfish they are, the three of them are projecting their cousins as the PDP Chairman candidate for the Sapele local government election, after shairing the 20 councilor’s slots, while claiming that they are acting on the governor’s instruction.”
“It is hard to believe that our amiable governor who in his effort to entrench internal democracy in the party by subjecting yourself to the leaders of the party in your local government could be promoting a situation where only three persons overrun the party in Sapele.
The group added that; “in a local government where you have the likes of Chief Charles Obule, a PDP chieftain, Chief Godwin Edeki, the pioneer Chairman of PDP in Sapele, Chief Joe Egbiba, former LG chairman and DESOPADEC commissioner, Chief Felix Anirah former LG chairman and a former PDP State official, is it fair for only three people to hijack all position, can the three people deliverer Sapele to the PDP”?
The group alleged also that, “it is the same greed of these three leaders to corner everything that comes to the local government that made the PDP to loss the governorship election in 2011 general election and narrowly won the House of Assembly election,” noting that if the situation is not addressed urgently PDP may perform poorly again in 2015 election.
They also called the Delta State government led by Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to borrow a leaf from President Goodluck Jonathan, and empower Delta women as chairperson through the local government election.
According to them, it would be wise to consider at least one woman for Chairmanship position within the ten federal constituency in the state, because women over the years has contributed more to the growth and development of our democratic culture and it is time to reward them for supporting and voting for the PDP.