By JOHNSON EBIGIDE
The Urhobo political lobby group, Delta Central 2023, with the acronym DC-23, has been criticized for undergoing the screening and pruning down of the number of governorship aspirants from the Delta Central Senatorial District, citing unconstitutionality and arm twisting.
The recent pruning down of the invited aspirants for screening from 12 to five aspirants with a further plan to further screen them to three and later produce one before the primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, has come with accusations on the lobby group.
Many accusing fingers have been pointing at what many termed unconstitutional and breaching on the right of the pruned aspirants, while some others simply frowned at what they described as a glaring arm twisting of the aspirants by the lobby group.
An earlier statement from the Chief Abel Esievo Gubernatorial Campaign Organization, signed by the Acting Director General, Adm. Tola Ajemisogbe, and made available to the press, he distanced the governorship candidate of the organization from the screening exercise.
He cited unconstitutionality and irregularities, while quoting copiously from the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended and that of the PDP to buttress the stance of the campaign organisation.
It added that Chief Esievo was invited for the screening exercise, but had declined to honour it in writing to the group, stating clearly why the exercise was unconstitutional and an infringement on his right to be voted for and not selected by a few individuals, among other cogent reasons.
It added that the move was a mockery of democracy and might send wrong signals to the electorate; thereby, jeopardising the bright chance of the PDP to produce the state governor in 2023.
Another concerned Deltan from the Delta Central, Chief Akpomudiaga Maxwell, who spoke to newsmen in Asaba on the issue wondered what informed the decision of the group to abandon its noble aspiration of lobbying to produce an Urhobo to succeed Governor Okowa in 2023 to contravene on electoral acts and the fundamental rights of the aspiring governorship candidates.
He blamed the screened aspirants for the unwholesome development, adding that they should had known better than their decision to be collaborative in the illegality, just as he prayed that the unfortunate situation would not weaken the PDP in the state.
Another respondent in Warri, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the whole exercise simply as arm twisting, adding that the group had no moral justification to embark on such screening exercise, just as she advised that it be discontinued and allow the fate of the aspirants to be decided by the electorate.
She said that she detested unnecessary arrogating of power to oneself to the detriment of the generality of the people, adding that her love for Governor Okowa stemmed from his God fearing disposition.
She added that the governor’s humility, his readiness to listen to the yearnings of the people, adjourning Deltans to borrow a green leaf from the governor, if they hoped to move the state to greater heights after 2023.
