PDP members protest against cancellation of primary in Ondo

MEMBERS of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Owo/ Ose Federal constituency of Ondo State, on Tuesday, protested over an alleged plan by the Party’s Electoral Committee to nullify the primary election conducted in the area and impose a candidate on the party in the area.

The protesters who invaded the party’s secretariat at Alagbaka vowed to resist any attempt to nullify or organise another primary election for the area, saying the election conducted by the Committee was fair, free and credible.

Armed with placards of various inscription, such as ‘We dont want imposition in Owo/Ose, ‘ This is PDP, no imposition, ‘We say no to imposition,’ ‘ Imposition is demonic,” among others, the protesters vowed to work against the party in the area of the party nullify the result of the election in the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency.

The leader of the protesters and former Chairman of the party in the State, Colonel Samuel Awodeyi (rtd), said the electoral committee was not fair with the people by cancelling the result of the primary.

Awodeyi said members of the party in the constituency would not accept any form of imposition, insisting that the result of the primary must be upheld.

ALSO READ: Secret deals that turned Skye Bank from buyer of bridge bank to a ‘bridge’

Awodeyi said: ” We are here to protest against the purported cancellation of the primary in Owo/Ose Federal Constituency, this is not acceptable and the result of the primary should stand but the result of any other thing will not be palatable.

” The National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus has said at the weekend that the era of impunity is gone in the party, so why is this happening again? The election was held in a peaceful atmosphere and there was no reason for the cancellation of the election.

Speaking to the protesters, the Chairman of the party in the State, Chief Clement Faboyede, said the state party secretariat was not aware of the cancellation of election in the area, saying the leadership of the party in the state was in the dark over the development.

Faboyede promised to the protesters that the party in the State would table the development before the National Working Committee of the party in order to address the injustice.

The electoral committee had cancelled the PDP House of Representative’s primary conducted in Owo, on Saturday following alleged non compliance with the guidelines of the party.

A chieftain of the party, Sodiq Obanoyen was said to have won the primary, defeating two other contestants including the incumbent, Hon. Bode Ayorinde.

To this end, the protesters stormed the party secretariat, alleging that the electoral committee of the party of planning to impose a candidate on them which informed the cancellation of the result.