By Onome Oghenetega
A former member of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Misan Ukubeyinje, has said the leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Warri North have not picked a consensus chairmanship candidate for the March 6 2021 council elections in the state.
Ukubeyinje, also a former commissioner in the state, said leaders and stakeholders of the party had not met to zone or cede the chairmanship ticket of the party in the council to anybody or tribe.
There had been reports that leaders and exco of the party have already reached a consensus to cede the chairmanship position to Ijaws in Warri North.
But the former lawmaker described the development as illegal, baseless and unconstitutional.
He stressed that PDP has not conducted the primaries for those jostling to fly the party’s flag in the council election.
The former commissioner called on the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and the leadership of the party to disregard the purported consensus candidate as it has no backing of critical party leaders including the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
He noted that former Governor Uduaghan, who is also the Coordinator of the committee for the convention of critical stakeholders meeting to fine-tune arrangement for a PDP in-house selection of a consensus candidate was not also consulted.
“Only a few minute persons without the requisite mandate and authority in Itsekiriland took that decision without involving critical stakeholders in the Council area.
“No meeting was called but a few minute persons of Itsekiri extraction met and allegedly concede the Chairmanship seat to one Smart Asekutu of Ijaw extraction”, the former Delta lawmaker stated.
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Ukubeyinje added, “That decision is illegal, baseless and unconstitutional as the only proper to do is the conduct of the party primaries and called on the State party exco and the Governor of the State, Sen, (DR) Ifeayin Okowa to conduct same to avert crisis.
“The authors of the chairmanship concession agenda are only bent on creating unwarranted crisis in the council and make it ungovernable for Governor Okowa.”
He posited conceding the Chairmanship to Ijaws is not a panacea for peace but a recipe for maximum chaos.
The two-time former commissioner added further, “A decision of such magnitude can only be taken by His Majesty the Olu of Warri in –Council after a critical stakeholder meeting with the relevant authorities.
“As a critical stakeholder and legal adviser to PDP in Warri North no such meeting of critical stakeholders was called.
“Therefore, for anybody or group to say one Ijaw candidate has been picked and a PDP nomination form also issued to him is not only illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional but smacks of imposition with impunity and an insult to our collective conscience as a people.
“This is a democracy. Everyone has a right to contest on a level playing ground. Our amiable Governor should conduct a primary for all interested aspirants and good luck to the winner of the primary.”
