IPMAN Election: Give contestants level playing ground, Group urges Oborevwori

The Delta Oil and Gas Security Monitoring Group (DOGSMG) has urged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and members of the proposed electoral body to conduct the forthcoming election of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Warri Depot, to create an enabling environment for a transparent and credible process.

The group appealed in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri at the weekend.

It was noted that only a level playing field for all candidates will guarantee a free and fair election whose outcome will be acceptable to all concerned, irrespective of ethnic bias or political affiliation.

The statement, signed by the chairman and secretary of DOGSMG, Chief Frank Akpodiete, and Hon. Chinedu Ezeonyeka, thanked Governor Oborevwori for the approval of the election to hold and pleaded with him to treat all the contestants as his children.

The group dismissed claims that some top commanders in the race were being offered between 10 and five million naira to step down for a preferred government candidate, with an electoral umpire being offered 10 million naira.

The group described Governor Oborevwori as a true democrat who would not compromise the due electoral process, urging him to discountenance the ongoing political blackmail that some candidates are better trusted with.

It stated that all the candidates were duly screened and found worthy to be committed to his MORE agenda, contrary to speculations by a camp to sell a particular candidate.

The statement read in part, “We, members of the above-mentioned body, want to thank the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, for his approval that the state branch of IPMAN can go ahead with conducting its suspended elections, and we want to use this medium to assure him of a peaceful process.”

“However, we have been inundated with reports of the Governor having a preferred chairmanship candidate in the race for reasons that bother allegiance and loyalty, but we wish to make it categorically clear that these concerns are absolutely unnecessary, as the interest of Delta State remains paramount to all stakeholders in the oil and gas sector.”

“We have our reservations about rumours making the rounds that some top contenders were being offered between ten and five million naira to step down for a preferred candidate, as well as the electoral body offering ten million naira, based on our conviction that, as a democrat himself, Governor Oborevwori would not want to compromise due democratic process.”

“Inasmuch as we want to agree that the Governor is a consummate politician who places priority on his interest in any political contest, we want to reassure His Excellency that IPMAN is a responsible association whose leadership and members are under obligation to work with the government of the day in actualizing an agenda that better serves the interests of the people.”

“We sincerely want to appeal to Governor Oborevwori to see all the contestants as his children and major stakeholders in projecting his policies and programme based on the fact that they were all duly screened and found worthy both in character and open-mindedness to key into his MORE agenda towards improving the wellbeing of Deltans.”

“All we are craving at this point is that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori allows a free and fair process so that we can have a credible IPMAN election where all the contestants will accept the outcome in the interest of peace in the association and the state at large.” It concluded.

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