From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia, yesterday, stormed the secretariat of the party in Umuahia to protest what they alleged were moves by the state Chairman of the party, Asiforo Okere, to impose ad-hoc delegates on them ahead of the party’s primary for the 2023 general election.
The protesters, who called for the chairman’s resignation, carried placards with various inscriptions, some of which read, “Asiforo working for the opposition; Abia PDP a shadow of itself under Asiforo; Asiforo wants to kill PDP; we hate imposition; imposition will not do us any good, NWC act now; observe due process, then delegate election is guaranteed,” among others.
One of the protesters, who wouldn’t want his name in print for fear of being victimised, told newsmen that Asiforo’s body language was favouring a certain ‘anointed’ governorship aspirant from Abia Central senatorial district.
“Asiforo is doing everything possible to manipulate the process in favour of this retired professor to emerge as the governorship candidate of the party.
“PDP should forget about Abia State if the man emerges as its candidate. We are ready to sabotage the party if they refuse to allow an Abia North person succeed Governor Okezie Ikpeazu,” he said.
The leader of the protesters who gave his name as O’Brien made known their grievances to includ but not limited to the ward three-man ad-hoc delegate election which was rumoured to have been held yesterday without their knowledge.
The protesters demanded to know when the forms for the purported delegate election was sold and why they were kept in the dark regarding the conduct of the delegate election.