…As Group Accuses Akpike, Igbuya, Aiyemidejor Of Hijacking 20 Councilorship Slots
SAN FRANCISCO, July 28, (THEWILL) – A political pressure group in Sapele, Delta State, under the aegis of Sapele Okpe Network for Equity and Justice (SONEJ), has raised the alarm of a likely crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sapele Local Government Area of the state.
This, according to the group, follows what it described as the unwholesome activities of some PDP leaders who have hijacked and shared among themselves, the 20 councilorship seats in the coming Local Government election in the state.
Raising the alarm in a statement issued after an emergency meeting on Friday in Sapele, the group alleged that the Commissioner for Housing, Chief Paulinous Akpeki; the member representing Sapele in the State House Assembly, Chief Monday Igbuya, and the Director Asaba Airport project Mr. Austin Aiyemidejor, allegedly shared all the 20 councilorship slots for the 20 wards without consulting or carrying other leaders along.
In the statement signed by its National Chairman, Comrade Oyibo Onomor and National Secretary, Ovie Edafe, the group alleged that the three leaders met at Asaba last week and shared the 20 slots among themselves.
It noted that if urgent steps are not taken to address this anomaly, the gain recorded by the efforts of the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, that gave the party an overwhelming victory in the Delta Central Senatorial by-election, would be lost.
“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 Caretaker Committee also produced the Chairman and 10 Councilors. 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 Margaret 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 in the state come out to tell us how much they sold the party to him. The same Hon. Igbuya, in his selfish aspiration to become the Speaker, is 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 sharing the 20 councilorship 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 statement said.
The group also added: “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 Local Government Chairman and DESOPADEC Commissioner, Chief Felix Anirah; former Local Government Chairman and a former PDP State official, is it fair for only three people to hijack all positions? Can the three people deliver Sapele to the PDP?”
According to the group, “it is the same greed of these three leaders to corner everything that comes to the Local Government that made the PDP to lose the governorship election in 2011 general election and narrowly won the House of Assembly election.” It noted that if the situation is not addressed urgently, PDP may perform poorly again in 2015 election.
The group also called the Delta State Government led by Dr. Uduaghan to borrow a leaf from President Goodluck Jonathan and empower Delta women as chairperson through the Local Government election.
The group said it would be wise to consider at least one woman for the chairmanship position within the 10 federal constituency in the state, saying women over the years have contributed more to the growth and development of the country’s democratic culture and it is time to reward them for supporting and voting for the PDP.
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