Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that imposition of candidates would not be allowed in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the party heads for the local government elections in June, this year.
Governor Wike stated this yesterday, when he addressed the state stakeholders’ meeting of the PDP at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
He said only popular candidates would emerge through transparent PDP primaries.
He said: “The imposition of candidates will not be allowed in the PDP. We will use the local government elections to test the waters. Let people come out and vote, so that we know that we are doing well”.
Governor Wike said that no candidate would emerge through connections with party leaders, but through their links with the ordinary members of their respective constituencies.
He charged party members to ensure that those who will emerge as chairmen and councillors are persons who will defend their constituencies during elections.
“Those to be nominated as chairmen and councillors must have the capacity to deliver quality projects and programmes for their people. They must have the capacity to stand and defend their people”, he said.
The governor added that the only strategy left for the APC is to rig the elections, using the security agencies and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He said that the APC would fail woefully as the PDP is rooted in the state.
He said: “APC has nothing to offer. The only thing they are planning is how to rig elections. But, by the grace of God, they will be disappointed”.
Speaking further, Governor Wike urged that women be included across all levels as the party conducts her primaries, assuring that he would support the emergence of women in the forthcoming local government polls.
Commenting on the Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Governor Wike said that the APC leaders have plotted to introduce fake corps with same uniforms, and they commit murder for the purpose of de-marketing the corps.
In his remarks, National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said the focus of the party at the national level was to re-brand and re-position for the party to reclaim her place.
He said that the PDP is already regaining lost ground because Nigerians have discovered that the APC has failed to deliver on its promises.
The National Chairman of PDP commended Governor Wike for insisting on returning the party to the people through transparent primaries.
Rivers State PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah, said that the expanded State Stakeholders meeting was at the instance of Governor Wike who insists on carrying all leaders along.