By Arierhi Nathaniel
LAGOS DECEMBER 18TH (URHOBOTODAY) A frontline Chairmanship Aspirant for Ughelli North Local Government Area in the forthcoming Delta State local government election and Managing Director of Aduvie Motors Mr. Richard Ovweghrederohwo has threaten to take the leaders of the People Democratic Party
(PDP) to court if they impose a candidate on the people of Ughelli North LGA in the forthcoming local government election.
Ovweghrederohwo popularly known as Aduvie make the threat during a street protest in Ughelli, the administrative headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area over a perceived plans by the party’s leaders to impose a candidate of their choice on the people against their will.
He told newsmen that in 2017 he ran for the chairmanship position of the council area but the party leaders in Ughelli North said that the state governor, Sen. (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa has asked him to back out from the race for the incumbent Chairman, Hon. Godwin Adode, adding that as a party faithful he obeyed and this is how he was imposed on the good people of Ughelli North.
While condemning the plans of the leaders of the party in Ughelli North council area to impose a candidate on the electorate, he said it will not be accepted and will be highly resisted adding that primary election build the party but imposition destroyed it.
When asked if the party’s leaders decided to go ahead with their plans to impose a candidate on the people what will he do, he said he will approach a competed law court to challenge the decisions of the party leaders.
While calling on the state Governor and state Chairman of PDP to call the leaders of the party in Ughelli North local government area to order, he reminded the state governor that Ughelli North PDP does not destroyed before he came into power so he should not allow it to be destroyed as he is leaving.
Also speaking, the immediate past PDP Youths Leader of the council area, Comrade Felix Olokpa (JP), harped on free and fair primary and a level playground for all the aspirants.
According to him, the low votes recorded in the previous elections in the council area was as a result of grievances from the imposition of by the leaders of the party candidates against the general will of the people that is currently destroying the party in Ughelli North Local Government Area.
“We need 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 vote in the council.
“Chairmen of a local government area need not to be impose 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 will be highly resisted.
“When you impose a candidate on the people he will not be answerable to people and they people will not have a say over the candidate you imposed on them but if you allow them to chose a candidate of their choice the candidate will listen to them, we are not against any of the aspirants neither the incumbent chairman of the council but all we are saying is that the era of imposition is gone in Ughelli North council all the aspirants should pass through the primary.
“Any attempt to impose an aspirant or a candidate on the people of Ughelli north in the forthcoming LGA election in the state, there will be no general election in the council area if they want kill us let them come and kill us, we will resist it with our last drop of blood.”
The protesters in their hundreds with placards with different inscriptions, “No primary election, No general election, Local government is for the youths and the youths should be allow determine who to 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 Ufghelli north for peace to reign”, barricaded the entrance to the party secretariat.