BEVERLY HILLS, November 23, (THEWILL) – All is set for the conduct of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ward congresses in Cross River, Lagos and Oyo States, Monday.
The earlier congresses held on November 1 in Cross River as well as Lagos and Oyo states, were cancelled by the national leadership of the party following allegations that the result of that exercise was doctored by members of the electoral panel, especially in Cross River.
The party subsequently directed that the exercise be re-conducted with new electoral panel members.
At a meeting with the stakeholders of the party on Sunday at the Cross River State party secretariat along Murtala Mohammed Highway, the chairman of the new electoral panel, Chief Chidi Egiogu assured that the exercise would be transparent, free and fair.
Egiogu therefore, urged politicians to exhibit high level of discipline during the exercise.
“We are going to conduct this exercise in line with the electoral guidelines following due process. I expect you to handle this election in the spirit of sportsmanship by accepting whatever will be the outcome in the interest of this great party,” he stated.
While debunking insinuation in certain quarters that the outcome of the exercise has been pre-determined, he showed the stakeholders the electoral materials contained in a bag he hung on his neck, adding, “We will conduct this exercise with utmost transparency and give everybody a level playing ground.”
In his remark, the State Chairman of the party, Ntufam John Okon assured the panel that as a one big family in Nigeria’s most hospitable and preferred destination, the state executive committee would give the panel the necessary cooperation to ensure a hitch free exercise.
The congresses for Lagos and Oyo would be held at the party’s state secretariat in Lagos and Ibadan.
Meanwhile, the Majority Leader of the Senate and senator representing Cross River Central, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, has said he would not participate in the exercise.
THEWILL recalls that Senator Ndoma-Egba, who is seeking re-election to the senate, Mr. Jeddy Agba, a very wealthy governorship aspirant in Cross River State, and former Cross River governor, Mr. Donald Duke, were accused by the stakeholders in the state of conniving with electoral panel officials in Abuja to manipulate the result of the cancelled exercise after they lost out.
In a statement in Abuja on Sunday, Ndoma-Egba said, “there are pending litigations before a Federal High Court in Abuja and a Cross River State High Court over the ward congresses organised by the PDP on November 1… I therefore will not do anything to undermine the sanctity of our judicial process and the judiciary.”
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