The Kogi State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Hassan Salau was over the weekend reportedly booed in Idah over his loudly announced move impose his Party secretary, Emmanuel Egwu as the House of Representative candidate in Idah Federal Constituency ahead of the 2015 general election.
The occasion was during the continuation of tour of the 21 local Government Areas in the state by the state governor, Capt Idris Wada who was in Idah for his ‘thank you visit’.
It was observed that everything was going on peacefully at the venue of the event when the chairman of the party who was called upon to make his speech rather choose to raise the hand of secretary, Emmanuel Egwu as the PDP consensus candidate for the 2015 Idah Federal Constituency election to the chagrin of party members.
The party was quoted to have said Egwu was an already anointed candidate and that all other aspirants should forget their ambition as there would no be room for primary election.
According to an eye-witness report, it was gathered threw the whole arena into frenzy as the whole place became charged and rancorous while some party loyalists started booing him and the secretary raining curses on the duo. It was the quick intervention of security agents at the venue who saved the situation from degenerating further as some dexterous youths surged forward to collect the microphone from the chairman.
His secretary was however not that lucky as some youths had already descended on him beating him black and blue. In dousing the already tensed situation, governor Wada immediately took up the microphone and warned party Executives to refrain from making inflammatory statements or making any imposition that is capable of tearing the party apart.
Reacting to the chairman’s statement, the Member representing the Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon Hussein Inna lambasted the party chairman for throwing his dignity into the mud by openly imposing an unpopular aspirant over the constituency when he was suppose to be neutral.
The lawmaker who passed a vote of no confidence on the party chairman, said the aspirants can not get a just and fair primary under his leadership as he has brazenly displayed biases against other aspirants.
Also speaking, the Majority leader of the State House of Assembly, Honorable Yakubu Yunusa said the open imposition of Egwu over other candidates in a crowded ceremony like that was an invitation to anarchy.
He wondered why a party chairman who was supposed to be a father to all will mount the podium to raise up the hand of an unpopular aspirant in an election where over 10 people are contesting and called on the state governor to call the chairman to order.
