ANNULMENT OF CONGRESS: POLICE BEEF UP SECURITY AT DELTA PDP SECRETARIAT

Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan
Delta State Police Command has beefed up security at the state secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Asaba, the state capital.

This follows the annulment of the congresses of the party at all levels in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Findings by our correspondent on Monday revealed that the command posted additional policemen to the party's secretariat moments after the position of INEC was made public.

It was gathered that the police acted at the instance of the controversial state executive of the party, led by Mr. Peter Nwaoboshi.

The Police Public Relation Officer, State Command, Mr. Charles Muka, said the action was meant to secure the party's secretariat and maintain law and order in the area.

The INEC in a letter dated June 23, 2010 nullified the congresses of the party in the seven states of the country, including that of Delta State, due to the misgiving arising from the conduct of the intra-party elections by some stakeholders in the states.

Other states affected by the action made public by INEC's secretary, Mr. Abdullahi Kaugama, are: Bayelsa, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Oyo and Plateau.

The national headquarters of the party had reacted differently to INEC' s action with the National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, stating that the party was studying the electoral body's position on the congresses, while the National Organising Secretary, Chief Uche Secondus, said INEC had no power to annul the congresses.

The party had been polarised into two factions in the state with one group loyal to the state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, while the other pitched tent with the South-South Leader and a former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark.

The state executive committee of the faction led by Nwaoboshi was sympathetic to Uduaghan.