Aspiring Adhoc Delegates for the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) primaries in Akwa Ibom State have been thrown into confusion with the emergence of a new form completely different from the initial one they purchased earlier from the party Secretariat.
The new form has a unique feature, a security barcode lacking in the previous one already purchased by thousands of people who are jostling to secure a spot from the three-man Adhoc Delegates per ward across the state.
The Adhoc Delegates are expected to join the other statutory Delegates to determine the fate of the aspirants for various political offices especially that of the state governorship aspirants.
However, in what appeared as a deliberate strategy to disenfranchised some aspirants already handy with the forms without barcode, the party is said to be selling the forms with a barcode to select adhoc delegates aspirants sympathetic to a favoured aspirant by the state government.
Some of the aspirants, who spoke with our reporter, expressed deep shock that the PDP is selling different forms for the same Adhoc Delegates’ election slated for the weekend.
Mrs Jane Bassey an aspirant said the shocking revelation has thrown so many of them into confusion and anxiety.
“I have been told that the form l purchased from the party to stand for Delegates election this weekend may be fake and I keep wondering if it is possible for our party to deceive us and sell fake forms to members for any reason.
“The forms currently in circulation is totally different from the initial ones we purchased. The current form has security barcode, my own has none,” she lamented.
Mr Kenneth Ukpeh, another aspiring Adhoc Delegate, also expressed fear that most of the people who initially purchased the first batch of forms for the election may have been deceived by the party officials and their government collaborators.
“We may be in for a shocker this weekend, I got information that the current forms with barcode is the authentic form for the election. The forms have been sold out mostly to the aspirants sympathetic to a chosen governorship aspirant by the incumbent administration and the rest with the initial forms mostly supporters of other guber aspirants are already out of the race,” he said.
He explained that if their fears become real then the party has started the transition to the next administration on a shaky and fraudulent note and should get ready for massive legal actions from the people.
“We are watching the unfolding scenario” said Mr Ikponke Etukudo another Adhoc Delegate aspirant holding the form without barcode. He further stated: “Any form of manipulating with the level of awareness among our people in this era will spell doom for the party in the state.”
However, Mr Paul Ikotidem, who vowed to take legal action once denied the opportunity to stand this weekend’s election owing to purchasing the form without the barcode from the same party, said he has been reliably informed that the underground current is to sieve out those without forms with barcode to enhance the chances of the chosen aspirant whose supporters are already handy with the original forms.
When Contacted on the party position on the conflicting matter, the state public publicity secretary of the party, Mr Borono Bassey said the party is yet to receive such complaints.
“Such complaints have not reached the party,” he told us.