After A Botched Guber Bid, Ndudi Elumelu Presses PDP For House Of Representatives Ticket As Anioma Professionals Kick

BEVERLY HILLS, December 17, (THEWILL) – Honourable Ndudi Elumelu has been lobbying the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu and his deputy, Chief Uche Sekondus for the Aniocha/Osimili House of Representatives ticket after his unsuccessful run at the Delta State Governorship primary of the party.

THEWILL can report that barring any late changes Elumelu would be formally declared candidate of the party for the position in the general elections slated for February 2015.

However, a group in the state, the Anioma Concerned Professionals (ACP) said on Wednesday that it had noted with great dismay the surreptitious attempt by Hon Elumelu to hijack the Aniocha/Oshimili House of Representatives ticket which he did not contest for under the current democratic dispensation, warning him to steer clear of the ticket.

“For the avoidance doubt, Ndudi Elumelu contested for the PDP Governorship primaries along with other aspirants but lost to the eventual winner, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

“Ndudi Elumelu was not listed among the aspirants that contested for the Aniocha/Oshimili House of Reps. primaries. More so, he was conspicuously absent at the election venue even as a delegate. So for him to now turn around to want to arrogate, to himself the sole rights/ownership of the PDP ticket for Aniocha/Oshimili House of Representatives is tantamount to mere gimmick and an attempt to suppress and subvert the will of the good people of Aniocha/Oshimili,” the group said in a statement jointly signed by its President, Prof. Abel Nwadiuno and Secretary, Dr. Onyemachi Okobi.”

According to the group, “We are not unmindful of the plots by Ndudi Elumelu to stampede the leadership of PDP at the national level to fraudulently impose himself as PDP candidate for House of Reps. election next year.”

“Such an imposition will amount to a flagrant disregard of democratic principles and a great injustice against the will of the people. What is evident in Ndudi Elumelu's daydream as the ownership of Aniocha/Oshimili House of Reps. is his lack of restraint. More worrisome is the brazen display of power engendered by his perceived link with the Presidency and the apex PDP stakeholders.

“Funny enough, Ndudi Elumelu was quoted to have bragged at different occasions of his strong influence within the PDP hierarchy, pointing to the fleet of the state-of-the-art vehicles and huge financial support extended to some family members of the PDP, to the extent of footing medical bills in London for the son of a top PDP member involved in an auto accident. “

Confronted with what seems like an enslavement of Anioma people in Delta State and by extension in Nigeria, the group said “we make bold to state without equivocation that we will resist any form of injustice or imposition in whatever form or shade not even from within ourselves and would never be subservient to any person or act that tend to demean us as a people.”

According to the statement, “Curiously, since the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Delta State, the campaign of ethnic hatred against Anioma and the unwarranted threats to vote against Mr. President, His Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and PDP candidates across board in the coming election by our Urhobo brothers and sisters under the aegis of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU is enough to be worried about.

“While we commend the PDP under the leadership of Adamu Mu'azu and His Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for the power shift to Delta North in the interest of equity, peace and harmony among the people of Delta State, we join millions of Nigerians to congratulate our President His Excellency, Goodluck Jonathan for his nomination as the presidential candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party PDP, and the rectification of Adamu Mu'azu as National Chairman, PDP, “the cap fits”.

“Unfortunately, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu's sneaky attempt to lord himself over the people of Aniocha/Oshimili in connivance with some cronies could stir a huge electioneering wrangling as PDP would be seen to have bowed to the bragging power of Ndudi Elumelu which may lead to negative outcome for PDP in Aniocha/Oshimili.”

Maintaining that Elumelu's action should be condemned in strong terms, the group said: ”With the party primaries over, what should be paramount now is for party faithful to work in synergy with other interest groups for party victory at the poll, not to create confusion that will give opponents an edge.”

It therefore called on Elumelu to retrace his steps and tow the path of honour and not heat up the polity in Aniocha/Oshimili.

According to the group, “How wrong and disappointed were the people of Aniocha/Oshimili as event unfolds. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu's allegiance should be more to the people he seeks to represent and the platform which he hopes to ride on -PDP rather than to himself and cronies.

“It is a public knowledge that Ndudi Elumelu did not work for the Anioma Agenda as evident in his refusal to step down for the eventual winner. The 50 votes he got at the PDP Governorship primaries, despite all the name dropping of people in strong support of his aspiration, is a clear testimony of his insatiable quest for power at all cost. Governance should be more of a public service and not a personal estate for Hon. Ndudi Elumelu alone.”

“As a group we appreciate Ndudi Elumelu's attempt to want to serve the people of Aniocha/Oshimili for the third time after an unsuccessful bid for 2015 Delta State PDP Governorship ticket. But what we find unacceptable is the plot to want to muscle its way through the back door, thereby suppressing the will of the people. Such action speaks volume of Ndudi Elumelu and if not checked, it's capable of truncating democracy and a breed of tyranny.”

“It is instructive to note that more than six eminently qualified sons and daughters of Anioma contested the PDP primaries for Aniocha/Oshimili House of Representatives on Saturday December 6, 2014 at the Cenotaph, Asaba, without Ndudi Elumelu. So whatever, shenanigans employ by the buccaneers in collaboration with their avaricious associates in their quest to subvert the inalienable rights of the people of Aniocha/Oshimili to the choice of who represents them will not stand the test of time.”

“Electoral fraud is said to be the worst form of corruption and injustice to humanity. Ndudi Elumelu's action is capable of engendering bitterness and hate among the electorates against his benefactors; as such act is usually viewed as a rape of the peoples inalienable rights and a form of suppression.”

“The people of Aniocha/Oshimili are watching as event unfolds, but have resolved not to get stuck in a social coma occasioned by a faulty system fueled by corruption and manipulation of electoral process. Our preoccupation as a people however should be how to come together to unleash massive development in our communities, not to tear our unity apart. We must therefore, not lose track of what is morally right and what is not. Ndudi Elumelu should seek political relevance somewhere else and leave Aniocha/Oshimili House of Reps. for those who contested for it.”

“As Anioma Concerned Professional, we are worried at the consistent dropping of the name of Mr. President by Hon. Ndudi Elumelu as his strong supporter resulting in his odium against the people of Aniocha/Oshimili. This is yet another opportunity for the Presidency and PDP hierarchy to clear its name from the name dropping by Hon. Ndudi Elumelu. In the interim, we call on Mr. President, His Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Adamu Mu'azu, the National Chairman, PDP to look at the merit of our position and prevail on Hon. Ndudi Elumelu to tow the path of honour and steer clear of Aniocha/Oshimili House of Reps. PDP representation.”