Secret Reporters No place to hide
Attempts to impose a consensus candidate as the flagbearer for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oshimili South local government ahead of the party primaries in the state have met a brick wall.
Party leaders of the Local Government which has been under the control of the PDP since 1999, during a meeting held on March 8th, 2022, vehemently rejected the imposition of a consensus candidate, Barr. Bridget Anayfulu, an alleged concubine to Hon. Ejele.
Credible sources who were in attendance at the meeting revealed that when the consensus issue was raised for this favoured candidate, the party chairman Dada Okonji popularly known as Blackman, Chief Edwin Uzor, Ogbueshi Agbalusia reiterated that Bridget is the Governor’s candidate and the instruction from above must be followed to the letter.
This did not go down well with most party members in the meeting, who got angry and spoke against the imposition, alleging that they were fully aware that the likes of Hon. Ejele had released monies to Dada and Chief Uzor. Sources allege that Ejele gave N60M to party leaders to ensure that Bridget is imposed.
Barr. Greatman Chukwuka who spoke against it said that there can not be a consensus candidate because it is against the electoral act. Another party member Dr. Mordi Ononye added that everyone should be allowed to go to the field because they have all bought forms and therefore should be allowed to test their popularity.
Engr. Smart Menka disclosed that the Governor has a Channel through which he communicates such information, and in this case, it is not the Governor speaking. Party leaders like Rt. Hon. Peter Onwusanya, Chief Uche Ugboma, and a host of others vehemently disagreed with the imposition and walked out of the meeting.
Subsequently, the party chairman called all the ward chairman that the leaders have decided that Barr. Bridget Anyafulu is the Governor’s anointed candidate, and they should all work for her success at the primaries, threatening that whoever shows interest in any other candidate will not be allowed to vote in the delegate election as their name will appear on the list but someone else will stand in their place.
He also gave the Ward Chairmen the various names of party leaders that should be invited in the 11 wards to nominate the 3man Adhoc list.
This further increased the resistance as the Local government chairman and exco members who saw it as another imposition vowed to resist in not just the state house of assembly primaries but all other elections.
With tension already boiling during the meeting, as a result of the decision, it was said that Chief Uzo and Dada immediately left town after the meeting.
