The spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties, Ugochinyere Imo, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission has excluded over 900 ad-hoc delegates and national delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party in Imo State from participating in the primary election of the party in the state including the presidential primary scheduled for May 28 and 29.
Imo, who briefed journalists in Owerri on Thursday, said that the electoral body in a letter dated May 17, invalidated the three-man ad-hoc delegate’s election of the PDP in the state and that of the national delegates congress in the state.
Imo said that the letter which was signed by the acting secretary of INEC, Aminu Idris, said “the INEC acting secretary Mr. Aminu Idris, said the Commission’s monitoring report on the one-man ad-hoc national delegates congress in Imo state has also indicated substantial non-compliance as no original Local Government Area congress result form was provided at any of the LGA Congress venue.
“The commission expects that your party’s primary in Imo state shall be conducted using only statutory delegates as provided in the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
He, therefore, blamed the national secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, for the invalidation of the Imo state PDP national delegates congress by INEC.
Imo said that the alleged “desperation” of the national secretary was the reason the electoral umpire excluded delegates from Imo state from the upcoming presidential primary of the main opposition party, PDP.
He alleged that Anyanwu wanted to hijack Imo ad-hoc list and that was against Electoral Act, hence INEC invalidated the congress and excluded the state from the PDP’s presidential primary.
Imo urged the National Working Committee of the party to order the arrest of the electoral officers who were responsible for the botched ad-hoc delegates congress in the state.
The activist who is vying to win the PDP ticket for Ideato South and Ideato North Federal constituency of Imo state for the 2023 general election, said that though the INEC’s decision was painful but it was in line with the Electoral Act.
He said “I blame the desperation of the National Secretary of the Party, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu to hijack the ad hoc list for being the sole reason Imo National Delegates list was invalidated by INEC.
“I call on the National leadership of the party to call for the arrest and investigation of the Electoral Officers of the party responsible for the missing results sheets for the conduct of Ward 3-man Delegates Congress and Local Government one-man National Delegates Congresses.
“The decision by INEC was a painful one for the Party but in line with the extant laws and the only option for the PDP given all the circumstances. I commend INEC as the party without the letter from INEC may have gone ahead to conduct an invalid primary election which would have landed the party in a catastrophic end in Imo State.
“I express sympathy with the over 900 Ad hoc delegates who would have lost the chance to participate and vote in the party’s primaries. I call on all those who desired to be ad hoc delegates but who can no longer participate to hold the National Secretary of the party responsible for the ugly situation in the party.
“The situation is a bag of mixed blessings as Imo PDP members can now sleep with both eyes closed because the desperate efforts to foist fake delegates list on them was over and the party can begin its rebuilding process.”
Reacting, the national secretary, described Imo as a “known blackmailer who is being paid to keep insulting” the national secretary of the PDP.
Anyanwu, who spoke through his media aide, Ikenna Onuoha, said that he was too busy to be responding to Imo’s “trashes.”
He said “Senator Samuel Anyanwu is the national secretary of the PDP made of the 36 states of the federation plus the Federal Capital Territory. He is not the secretary of PDP in Imo state. We are aware that people paid Ugochinyere Imo to be insulting distinguished Senator Anyanwu but we will not condescend to his level to be exchanging words with him.
“Senator Anyanwu is busy working in Abuja so that our great party will have a successful presidential primary and go ahead to win the main election. Imo should return to his federal constituency and appeal to his people (the delegates) to vote for him during the National Assembly primary election since he is contesting the election. We know he wants to always be in the news and the only way he can achieve that is to always mention Anyanwu’s name.”
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