OCHEI DIDN'T WIN DELTA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PRIMARIES - PDP

The chaiman of the party in Aniocha North local government, Chief Namadi Mohanye, had written to the national secretariat of the party, saying no primaries had been conducted in Aniocha local government for the nomination of candidate for Delta State House of Assembly.

He said the congress for Aniocha North local government area failed to take place on Saturday, January 8, 2011, because INEC returning officer who was delegated to conduct the primaries appeared at St Martins Primary School, Issele Uku, without the original result sheet which was the reason for rescheduling of the election.

Chief Mohanye said  attempt by Ochei to unilaterally impose himself on the people by claiming that he was the winner of an election that did not take place was an insult on the intelligence of the people. An Abuja High Court had also issued an injunction restraining Engr Victor Ochei from parading himself as the candidate of the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party for Delta North local government in Delta State House of Assembly.

The Honourable Member who represents Aniocha North is also restrained from commencing any form of campaign directly or by proxy until a substantive suit challenging his purported nomination has been disposed off.

One of the aggrieved aspirants Mr. Osi Sam Okocha, had instituted  the suit challenging the propriety of Hon. Ochei to parade himself as a candidate for the April election on the platform of PDP when he did not contest the primary as stipulated by section 87 of the 2010 electoral act.

The plaintiff is praying the court to direct the Delta State Peoples' Democratic Party to hold the special congress and conduct primaries in Aniocha North Constituency for the position of member of Delta State House of Assembly.

The litigant aver that the Peoples' Democratic Party has no right to foward the name of Hon. Victor Ochei as its candidate for the April 2011 Election for the Aniocha North Local Government when INEC failed to conduct a valid primaries or special congress between January 8, 2011 to January 12, 2011 when shoddy preparations on the part of INEC officials created rooms for unilateral and self declaration of Hon. Victor Ochei. Also joined in the suite is the Independent National Election Commission which botched the proposed primaries.

Mr. Osi is asking the court to direct INEC to conduct a proper primary for the area and give the indigenes the opportunity to exercise their fundament human right to choose their representatives as it customary with constitutional democracy.