Kogi State Chairmanship Primary Election Appeal Panel
C/o PDP Chairman
Kogi Chapter
Lokoja.
Dear Sir,
RE: PETITION AGAINST THE CONDUCT OF THE PDP CHAIRMANSHIP PRIMARY ELECTION IN OFU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KOGI STATE.
This petition is seeking the kind intervention of this Honourable Panel to forestall the looming problem bedevilling our great party, PDP and Ofu local government at large.
On the 13th day of March, 2013, his Excellency, Governor Idris Ichalla Wada called the meeting of the PDP stakeholders in readiness for the party’s Primary Elections which was slated to take place on the 19th March, 2013. While in the meeting, the governor told the stakeholders that he was not going to be Government’s ordained candidate and that there is no imposition of candidates on any Local Government during the PDP primary elections. The whole world applauded this pronouncement.
On the 17Th day of March 2013 in what looked like the affirmation of his statement of 13Th March 2013, His Excellency called the meeting of Ofu Local Government stake holders and later set up an eight (8) man Committee comprising of the following eminent Ofu indigines:-
1. Elder Ubolo Itodo Okpanachi
2. Hon. Ndamodu Ali
3. Hon. Yakubu Yunusa (Y.Y)
4. Hon. (Dr.) Dorcas Onuminya
5. Mall. Adamu Enape
6. Mall. Musa Omika
7. Mr. Paul Omakacha and
8. Mr. Idris Ibrahim Attabo (Waja)
The Governor gave some terms of reference to the Committee as follows:- Physical appearance, working experience, educational qualifications, communication skills and mission statement. The Committee was quite fair in their assessment and after the assessment and thorough consideration, the Committee reported and rated me, Barrister Akoh Unubi higher than every other contestants. I was declared to be the most qualified, fit and proper for nomination as the Flag Bearer of the Party for the forth coming general election.
On the 18th day of March, 2013 the Committee submitted the results of their assessment to his Excellency, but within a twinkle of an eye and to the dismay of both the committee and the Contestants in a meeting before His Excellency, his Excellence announced that since the former Liaison Officer 1 (Ameh Isah) who came second in the Committee’s assessment, performed credibly well, Ameh was to continue and enjoined us the rest of us to respect him as the Governor and the leader of our noble party and accept his verdict.
In a swift reaction, I rose to tell His Excellency that this decision will not augur well and for the interest of our growing democracy and our great party PDP, the decision be reverted to allow the will or wish of the people to prevail. I told the meeting that I really worked to in the last election that brought the present Government to be during which I was able to deliver five (5) polling units. This decision was not acceptable to me at all. I went back home to prepare for the next day primary election.
On the 19th day of March 2013, the day slated for the PDP Chairmanship primary election, at about 8.30 am, I and my teaming supporters including but not limited to; were some police officers, Nigerian Civil Defence staff and other sympathizers of the party were at the venue of the election but we all wanted in vain as there was neither PDP Official nor the electoral materials for the conduct of the primary election.
At about 2.30pm I made enquiry and discovered that one Joseph Shaibu was the Returning Officer 1 and Abdul Arogba was the Returning Officer II for the primary election. I took further steps to call on Joseph Shaibu on his telephone line:- 08032198911 to fine out about the electoral documents. Mr Shaibu told me that he has been reposted to Kotonkarfi as a returning officer and that he did not know who replaced him. All efforts to reach Mr Arogba, returning officer proved abortive. Further more, I got across to the Ofu PDP Chairman, Mr Waja Atabor, who lamented for not seeing or knowing the person that was handling those documents.
I have summoned the meeting of all the Ward executive Officer of PDP in Ofu Local Government Area and they unanimously condemned the act of imposition of candidates and diversion of electoral documents. They all called for the reversal of the decision of his Excellency to nominate Ameh Isah as his sole candidate which is clearly a deviation from his proclamation on the 13Th day of March 2013. Their resolutions are hereby attached for your necessary action.
In furtherance of the above, I wish to submit clearly that there was no any form of election in Ofu Local Government Area. The whole processes were marred with fraud, deception and high levelled conspiracy. In this present dispensation, I know every body is well informed and no one has the monopoly power and no body is above the Law of the Land. What happened is a clear deprivation of our rights, the civic rights of Ofu people has snatched. I on behalf of my people of Ofu LGA wish to petition against the whole processes and which to categorically state that since there was no election in Ofu Local Government Area, there can not be any acceptable election “results”.
Consequent upon this abnormal, obnoxious, callous and on-godly deprivation, I am are asking that another date be fixed and slated for a fresh Chairmanship primary Election in Ofu Local Government Area to create a free level playing ground for the most popular candidate to emerge and to enable the wish of the people to prevail.
Barr. Unubi Akor
Aspirant from Ofu LGA
