From Ben Dunno, Warri
A clear indication that members of ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Warri South Council area of Delta state may be going into next year’s general elections a divided house has emerged, following protest by some aggrieved members who stormed the venue of a caucus stakeholders meeting and disrupted proceedings to cause indefinite postponement.
Investigations revealed that PDP Warri South Council Chairman, Mr. Johnson Agbeyigbe, had summoned a caucus stateholders meeting at a popular hotel in Warri based on the directive from the Party state Chairman, Bar Kingsley Esiso, to all Local Government Chairmen to commenced the process of strategic planning campaign ahead of 2023 polls.
The meeting which comprises of LGA party Chairmen, Council Chairmen, House of Assembly members, Candidates, Commissioners, Special Advisers and seven community youth leaders that cut across the major ethnic group in the araa, had barely sat to commence deliberations when the aggrieved invaders took over the entire place.
Coordinator of the aggrieved PDP members, Bar. Presley Okojie, who presented their case under the auspices of ‘Warri South Political Caucus’, faulted the composition of those invited to attend, describing the meeting as charades with no good intent to addressing the disunity that had plagued the party aftermath its Primaries.
He maintained that the Party leadership had displayed show of shame by summoning such a meeting without first making efforts to bring some of the aggrieved members at various ward levels together, insisting that the idea to hold the meeting when the needed peace had not been brokered, demonstrates the insensitivity of those at the helms of affairs.
According to him; “The party conducted its primaries not too long ago and in the process some members who lost out l, including my humble self, had genuine reasons to approach the court based on the fact that I was denied access to the venue of the Primaries but for the love of the party I belonged since 1999, I decided to swallow it all the interest of Party is supreme.”
“One would have expected that the Party Exco make some frantic efforts at calling all those who were aggrieved one way or other to a round table to air their views and see how they can be pacified but no. The party decided to ignore them and start the process of electioneering campaign which to me its like putting the cart before the horse”.
“Now also take a look at the composition of those present here today, one would begin to query the criteria used by the party Chairman in deciding those to attend this crucial meeting when a particular ward had three (3) representatives and other wards were not represented at all?
He specifically faulted the non inclusion of Hon. Jackson Omatsola, a two time House of Assembly member from the constituency and questioned the rationale used in selecting the leaders from across the wards that were present at the meeting, noting that it was a one sided representation which negates the spirit of true democracy.
“It is on this note that this very meeting which is baseless, ineffective, insensitive and wrongly timed would not be holding here today. Let the convener adjourn it right away, in order to be able to do the right thing of uniting all aggrieved members in various wards before we start talking about how to commence campaigns for our candidates”, he stated.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Director of Publicity, Warri South Political Caucus, Comrade Tuoyo Ofuyakpone, who handed over the petition of the aggrieved placard carrying members to the party Chairman, had urged the party leadership to look at the genuine case being made by its aggrieved members as next year’s election is all about BIVAS and no more ballot snatching or thumb-printing in somebody’s house or hotels.
In his response, PDP Warri South Local Government Chairman, Mr. Johnson Agbeyigbe, tendered an unreserved apology for the over sight in not carrying everybody along and assured of his commitment to reconciling all the parties in the days ahead.
It was at this point the Deputy state Chairman of the party,
Bar Val Arenyeka, directed that the meeting be postponed to a later date inorder to forestall a breakdown of law and order at the venue.
Roll call at the botched meeting include; Chief (Dr.) Roland Oristejafor, Chief (Dr.) Joseph Otumara, Hon Omimi Esquire, Hon (Dr.) Muyiwa Erawa, Chief Israel Abido, Chief ( Mrs) Ann Iniovosa, Hon Austin Uroye, Hon Griftson Omatsuli,
Hon Amah Agbajoh, Hon Oduore wilkie, Davies Akhigbe, Johnson Agbeyigbe (party Chairman) and Hon(Barr) Val Arenyeka (State Deputy Chairman).