Member representing Arochikwu/ Ohafia Federal Constituency, in the House of Representatives, Hon. Uko Ndukwe Nkole given insight into the strange circumstances that led to the disruption of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senatorial primary election in Abia state.
In a statement he personaly signed and made available to Newsmen, the lawmaker had alleged conspiracy between Mr. Godwin Ndom, a serving Commissioner in the state and Senator Moa Ohunwabuwa campaign organization
Ohunwabuwa represents Abia North in the Senate.
According to Hon. Uko, the appointment of of Ndom, a well known protege’ of senator Mao, as the returning officer for the schedule exercise, signaled that the election was ill fated
He said despite his protest, it was discovered that two parallel lists were used for the primary.
“My agents drew my attention to the fact that Mr. Godwin Ndom had been appointed the Returning Officer for the election by the State Party Leadership. Mr. Ndom, as a matter of fact is a serving Commissioner in the Abia State Government and hails from Bende LGA, same Abia North Senatorial District and a known Coordinator for Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa’s campaign.”
“This was brought to the attention of the State Chairman of the Party, Rt. Hon. Allwell Asiforo Okere who agreed to change the returning officer. To confirm my initial fear at the venue of the election a different delegates list was presented
“At the Ohafia LGA Secretariat venue of the Primary, I was about to settle down when I was informed that the list being used to accredit delegates at the gate had names different from what was sent to the party national secretariat in Abuja and strangers were being accredited. I moved in to enforce the usage of the actual delegate list”
The lawmaker explained further that “After a successful accreditation, voting commenced from Umunneochi LGA. After the Umunneochi Delegates had cast their votes, Godwin Ndom, who still came with the team from the Party Office, directed that counting of ballots should follow each LGA vote as against the known procedure of counting at the end of balloting while four LGAS of Ohafia, Isiukwuato, Bende and Arochukwu were yet to cast their votes”
Hon. Uko noted that was using statement is to draw the attention of the Party to the illegality.
“I have drawn the attention to these obvious violations to both the party guidelines and extant laws governing elections in Nigeria” he noted .
The press statement is coming on the heels of complaints to the National Secretariat of the PDP in Abuja, calling for outright cancellation of the primary.
Hon. Uko, further alleged that he was physically attacked by Senator Mao and one Ikechi Anya
“At this point my opponent Mao Ohuabunwa rose and physically confronted me by grabbing my shirt. He was assisted by Ikechi Patrick Anya. Seeing me being attacked, one of the Delegates present from my Constituency intervened on my behalf and demanded I be respected as a serving Member of the House of Representatives.
“Mao Ohuabunwa used his walking stick to smash the head of the Delegate while his thugs helped to tear the young man’s clothes and molested him.
“At this point, Mao Ohuabunwa, in connivance with Ndom and his miscreants, personally grabbed the ballot box (bucket), available ballot papers and result sheets and ran out of the election venue after disrupting the entire process”
While calling out the National Secretariat of the party and other stakeholder, Uko said
“I place it on record unequivocally that the Abia North Senatorial Zone Primary elections of the PDP, held on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 was inconclusive as the election materials were hijacked by Mao Ohuabunwa and Mr Ndom.”
He called on the party to conduct fresh primaries in the zone
“I call on our great party to do the needful and reschedule the Primaries to the earliest possible date so we can conclude the process.”
“I would like to thank my supporters for maintaining peace at the face of the unwarranted provocations and assault and above all, delegates to the Abia North PDP Senatorial Primaries for showing uncommon determination and resoluteness to vote for me in the Primaries.”
“This clarification has become necessary in view of the fact that the sponsor and beneficiary of this affront on our electoral processes, planned and premeditated this action knowing fully well that he is unpopular and to orchestrate chaos he hopes to benefit from.” He concluded .