Delta PDP Congress: Uduaghan's loyalists vow to boycott party's primaries if…

Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be heading for the precipice following the nullification of the party's congresses by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) due to assertions and protestations from emerging blocs within the political party.

  This is just as a Federal High Court on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from insisting on the dissolution of the state executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State .

  Justice Abdul Kafarati restrained INEC and the national secretariat of the party from acting on and implementing the letters dated June 23, 2010 and September 27, 2010 written by INEC.

  It is recalled that INEC had by a letter dated June 23, 2010 nullified the controversial congresses in seven states of the country, which include Delta, Bayelsa, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Oyo and Plateau.

. INEC's Secretary, Mr. Abdullahi Kaugama, had in the letter to the National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Ezekwesilise Nwodo, said the congresses did not meet constitutional and acceptable standards of the party. He revealed that 'the congresses were not acceptable as they failed to meet the requirements of the PDP Constitution and 2007 guidelines for congresses.'

  It is revealed that the party's wards, local governments and state congresses were respectively fixed for between October 19 th and 21 st , 2010. But party loyalists to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan have vowed to resist attempts to change the present PDP structure led by Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi, a former political adviser to embattled Chief James Ibori , when the later was governor of oil and gas rich Delta state between 1999 and 2007.

  The governor's loyalists who insist that the Nwaoboshi led executive was legally and properly constituted have also threatened to boycott the forthcoming party primaries as a way of remonstration if the claims by a faction in the party calling for the fresh congresses were heeded.

  A dependable source at the state PDP Secretariat, on Maryam IBB Way in Asaba mentioned that subsequent to the announcement for a new congress to be held in Delta state, a meeting of stakeholders deemed to be loyal to the governor's course and re-election bid was called late into the night where they were advised to boycott the proposed state congress.

  However, the scheduled congresses could not be held in the state as forces allegedly under the control of the state governor were said to have patrolled the nooks and crannies of the state to ensure that nothing of such took place.  

A party member in the Nwaoboshi team, in a telephone chat with huhuonline.com and on grounds of anonymity said: 'It will not work; else we will boycott the party primaries. INEC should not interfere in party matters. Nwaoboshi was dully elected as party chairman and the exco has credence. We shall resist any attempt to foist any other person on the party in the state. There is already a structure on ground and a few individuals cannot frustrate the entire party members' decision to move forward and we have plans as PDP to work for Goodluck Jonathan during the 2011 presidential election and changing the structure now will affect that plot'.

  Another party member queried rhetorically: 'Is there any party in Nigeria where internal democracy exist? Why are they disturbed only about PDP? Why not also focus on AC, ANPP, PRP, and NCP among others? Is this the kind of INEC Prof. Jega and his team want to give us? I know that PDP has done almost everything wrong but so also are all others.

  Court halts INEC from dissolving Delta PDP
  A Federal High Court has cut short the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its determination to the dissolve the Delta state executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

  This followed an ex-parte application brought before the court by the Chairman of the party, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, and Secretary, Chief Solomon Ogba, for themselves and on behalf of the executive committee.

  Justice Abdul Kafarati granted the interim order which would last until the determination of the motion on notice. The ex parte application was argued on behalf of the plaintiffs by Chief Pius Ikwueto (SAN) while INEC and PDP were defendants in the suit.

  INEC was restrained from interfering in the affairs of the party in the state and from preventing the plaintiffs from discharging their functions as members of the state executive committee of PDP in Delta State .

  The judge further restrained INEC and the national secretariat of the party from acting on and implementing the letters dated June 23, 2010 and September 27, 2010 written by INEC and from excluding the present leadership of the party in Delta State from participating in the forthcoming 2011 general elections .

  The court also barred INEC from refusing to accept candidates to be nominated by the PDP executives in Delta State for the 2011 general elections . The matter was adjourned to October 27 for hearing of the motion on notice.   Matters arising

  A group led by Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, had rejected the congress which produced the Nwaoboshi executive, saying that the ward and local government congresses were not held and that the leadership of the party in the state was not validly elected and as such their continued stay in office is illegal.

  It is also learnt that Nwodo, had at the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the party in Abuja promised a high powered delegation of Senators Patrick Osakwe ( Delta North ) and Adego Eferakeya (Delta Central), Chiefs Ovie Omo-Agege, Braduce Angozi and retired Rear Admiral John Kpokpogri (gubernatorial aspirants) and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, led by E. K. Clark that the party would look into their complaints critically in order to ensure justice and fair play. The delegation asked the PDP NEC to conduct fresh congresses in the state in line with the position of INEC. Also, as a result of the clamour and petitions calling for change in the leadership of the state party, allegedly thriving in illegality, INEC had by a letter dated June 23, 2010 nullified the controversial congresses in seven states of the country, which include Delta, Bayelsa, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Oyo and Plateau. The electoral body's scribe, Mr. Abdullahi Kaugama, in the letter to the National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Ezekwesilise Nwodo called for the immediate nullification of the congresses.