The Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday, held a parallel congress, which produced the deputy governor of the state, Rt. Hon Philip Shaibu, as the party’s governorship candidate for the September 21 poll in the State.
While some delegates were being accredited to proceed to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium venue of another primary election, another set of delegates met at a facility on Commercial Avenue in Benin City where they announced Shaibu as the elected candidate of the PDP.
They claimed that they went to the same accreditation venue but were chased away by security agents. They also alleged that the list of delegates published by the national leadership of the party was not the authentic one used for accreditation, alleging that they saw names of people from Bayelsa State and names of people who are members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) on the list being used.
Declaring Shaibu winner of the parallel primary election, Bartholomew Moses said “during the counting of this primary election, Philip Shaibu has a score of 301 votes and, therefore, we hereby declare Philip Shaibu as the authentic elected candidate for this election in the PDP.”
The party members had barely finished their exercise when gunmen invaded the venue. They were dressed in vigilante outfits and came in several vehicles, including two black unmarked Toyota Hiace trucks, an unmarked white sienna, white Hilux and several other vehicles.
They shot sporadically into the air and the the party faithful scampered for safety in different directions.
Before the parallel election, the delegates led by Festus Owu, had protested to the deputy governor’s official lodge, where they complained to him that they had been disenfranchised
Speaking to the protesting delegates, Shaibu said: “I appeal to all of you to be peaceful, I don’t want anybody to be injured, I don’t want anybody molested and I am happy the way you have conducted yourselves peacefully and have come to report to me that you were not allowed to be accredited but I want to tell you that no one man can determine the destiny of a people and by the grace of God they cannot disenfranchise you people.
“The law is clear that you people are the authentic delegates. Now that they have pushed you away, they want to go and replace you but I assure you that your votes must count, they cannot change and replace your names. I assure you that I will take your protest to the committee that is coming, but you must remain peaceful in everything you are doing.”
Speaking to journalists later, Shaibu also said: “I saw the crowd outside and I asked who they were and they said they are delegates, I said they should be directed to the venue of the accreditation but they said they were protesting because they have been sent away from the venue of accreditation and they won their election and they have their results. The election will hold and if a winner emerges with fake delegates, the election will not see the light of the day but if a winner emerges with the authentic delegates, there will be no problem, I am sure.”
(LEADERSHIP)