Comrade Sheriff Mulade, a House of Assembly aspirant for Warri South West constituency, has called on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, and the Delta State leadership under Barrister Kingsley Esiso as well as Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to ensure that there is no imposition of candidate for the party’s coming primaries.
In a statement made available to The Next Edition, Mulade appealed that efforts should be made to ensure that the primary elections should be credible, free and fair, even as he tasked the leaders to carry everyone along to avoid bickering and acrimony.
He maintained that the fairness of the leadership in the process would make even the losers to support the winners after the primary for the overall success of the party at all levels.
Mulade stressed that attempts to impose unpopular candidates during the primaries would spell doom for the PDP during the general elections.
He added: “You can only rig the party primaries for your preferred unpopular candidate or puppet. But, you cannot rig the general election for him or her, especially now that PDP is in the opposition at the centre.
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“I strongly advice the leadership of our great party at the state level and His Excellency, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, who we call ‘Talk Na Do Governor,’ to back their words with action as they assured all aspirants during the recent stakeholders’ meeting at Unity Hall, Old Government House, Asaba.
“During that meeting, they assured that the party will conduct free, fair and credible primary elections that will be acceptable to all the aspirants and that only the will of the people will prevail in the primaries. So let them stand by their words.”
He expressed worry over rumours in some quarters that the party would sell only few forms in some constituencies to deprive some aspirants the opportunity of taking part in the primaries.
“In a situation where you sell forms only to your puppet (s), then you have thrown unnecessary political crisis to the party and I am very sure such candidates will never win in the general elections.
“So, I am using this medium to call on our great party leadership at all levels, especially our party state chairman, Barrister Kingsley Esiso, and our amiable governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to make forms available to all the aspirants and conduct free, fair and transparent primary election that will be acceptable to all the aspirants.”
