The Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has reiterated the fact that there is no impunity in the Party, and PDP is one big, united family as was demonstrated in the recently concluded and hugely successful, comprehensive Ward-to-Ward Campaigns across the 270 Wards in the State.
This affirmation was contained in a statement by Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, State Publicity Secretary of Delta State PDP, while reacting to several contrary opinions on the unity of the party, including an earlier Press Release titled: “THERE MUST BE AN END TO IMPUNITY IN PDP DELTA STATE”, signed by Chief Barrister Aghwarianovwe Novwe Ikie (Solicitor of England and Wales/Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria).
Describing the Press Release as totally misleading, divisive, and an unnecessary diversion at a time when the party is fully settled and focused, after embarking on the well-received campaigns across the Wards and is now fully prepared and poised to commence its Local Government Campaigns for the 2023 elections, the Delta PDP Press Release reads:
“Our attention has been drawn to a totally misleading and divisive Press Release titled: ‘THERE MUST BE AN END TO IMPUNITY IN PDP DELTA STATE’, signed by Chief Barrister Aghwarianovwe Novwe Ikie (Solicitor of England and Wales/Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria), an erstwhile PDP Governorship aspirant in our last primary election.
“While we are mindful of the fact that he has, by his own admission, already approached the Court over a completely different matter which has no bearing whatsoever on the internal affairs of our party, we hereby inform and assure Chief, Barrister Aghwarianovwe Novwe Ikie, that we are fully and unambiguously satisfied with the judgment of the Supreme Court on the authentic Governorship candidate of our party for the 2023 elections, and so do not wish to join issues with him, or anyone else, over some of the sensitive legal assumptions, as well as the other spurious and baseless allegations, he boldly asserted in his Press Release.
“However, as a very responsible and law-abiding political party, guided always by the provisions and tenets stipulated clearly in our party’s Constitution, we want to state categorically that we take very strong exception to his statement that: ‘The PDP State Party machinery rigged the process of “electing” these purported delegates in favour of the sitting Governor’. The Party ensured that no delegate election took place across the State. The Governor, through his lackeys, selected the entire 835 Delegates and wore the sham/illegal process, the garb of a legal election.’
“In the same vein, we would also commend Chief Ikie for highlighting the appropriate sections of our Electoral Guidelines and Constitution which were the grundnorm on which the elections of the 3-Man AD-HOC Delegates for the PDP Primaries were conducted.
“We are glad to note, without any prejudice whatsoever, that with the exception of a few infinitesimal complaints which were to be expected, since no system or human process is completely infallible, the congresses to elect our ad-hoc delegates was hugely successful across the Wards and LGAs in the State and were widely reported on all media platforms.
“Let us also remind Chief Barrister Aghwarianovwe Novwe Ikie and others who may still be nursing such hallucinations, that our Party’s ad-hoc delegates were neither robots, puppets nor mannequins and since lobbying and competition for votes are two of the important hallmarks in a proper democratic contest, it is only natural that delegates will have choices, especially since our party provided a level playing field for all aspirants, who are qualified to contest at the primaries to have unhindered and unfettered access to all the delegates.
“We are proud to state without any equivocation that our Governorship Primary was not only free, fair, and transparent, it was also an exemplary reflection of what a proper democratic exercise, conducted in the true spirit of freedom of choice, where all aspirants got votes and since again, elections are about numbers, the aspirant with the highest number of votes emerged as the authentic candidate of our party by majority votes and was duly recognized as the Party’s Guber flagbearer for the 2023 Elections.
“This point is incontrovertible and the fact that we conducted a free, fair, and transparent Governorship Primary has neither been challenged nor invalidated.
“It is against this crystal clear backdrop, complemented by the final and decisive Supreme Court pronouncement on the authentic Delta PDP Governorship Candidate, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, that we wonder with some interest at the motive(s) behind the statement and actions of Chief Barrister Aghwarianovwe Novwe Ikie and his ilk, which we see as diversionary, reactionary and aimed dubiously at creating an unnecessary diversion at this auspicious time when the party has fully settled and has set up the formidable structures for our comprehensive campaigns, which have already conducted and successfully delivered our Ward-to-Ward campaigns, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“We deem it superfluous and quite gratuitous that someone who claims to have nursed the aspiration for the Governorship ticket of our great party, should exhibit such joyless, unenthusiastic acrimony at this time, when the clarion call of all true, loyal, and committed members of our party, fully buoyed by cheerful exhilaration of the Supreme Court Judgment, is that we should all come together as one family, united with the sense of purpose towards winning the 2023 general elections in a 5/5 clean sweep.
“Let us state explicitly and unconditionally that, as a political party which believes and upholds the sacrosanctity of the rule of law, we are always prepared to submit to due process in the adjudication of contentions, and it is in that light, that we acknowledge and respect the decision of Chief Barrister Aghwarianovwe Novwe Ikie.
“We will however not be deterred or discouraged in our strident call and appeal to all party members, irrespective of their dispositions, to come together, now that our road to victory in 2023, has become clearer and smoother with the Supreme Court Judgment and overwhelming success of our Ward-to-Ward Campaigns.
“We will not relent in our concerted efforts to continue to reach out to all our members with the simple, yet powerful message that we are one united family and we are stronger, more dominant, and persuasive in our quest for an all-round landslide victory, working together as one big happy family.
Delta is PDP and PDP is Delta.
PDP! Power to the People!!
