Don’t Tamper With Elumelu’s Victory—Group Warns PDP

By Dipo Olowookere

A group known as National Youths Vanguard for Democracy has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to make any adjustment to the victory of Mr Ndudi Elumelu in the primary conducted to pick a flag-bearer for the House of Representatives election slated for next year in Delta State.

A statement issued by the National Coordinator of the group, Mr Edwin Innocent, said there were clandestine moves by some persons imploring the leadership of the PDP to substitute the name of the winner of the PDP Primary Election for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State, Mr Elumelu, with the name of Mrs Joan Amaechi Mrakpor, who lost the primary election to the latter.

The exercise was conducted October 3, 2018, with Mr Elumelu declared winner of the primary by the PDP Returning Officer after garnering 266 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mrs Mrakpor who polled 226 votes.

In the statement, Mr Edwin said the sponsored fake news report making round in some circles alleging of the move by some persons to substitute Mr Elumelu’s name with that of Mrs Mrakpor was highly detestable and capable of plunging the party in to avoidable crisis.

“We therefore urge the National Working Committee of the PDP led by Prince Uche Secondus not to succumb to the pressure to substitute Mr Elumelu’s name with Mrs Mrakpor.

“We also urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly ensure that only the name of the candidate who emerged from the primary election it monitored in the said Federal Constituency that is duly submitted to it by the leadership of the party.

“In similar vein, we advise Mrs Mrakpor to accept defeat and stop bringing the party’s name to infamy and public odium.

“We believe the greatest concern of the PDP in Delta State should be on how to stop the APC from taking over the entire state in 2019 and as a result, we demand that all hands must be on deck in this regard.

“Therefore, we call on the leadership of the party to appropriately sanction anybody found sponsoring fake news report against the party and it’s credible, free and fair primaries in Delta State,” the statement said.