Sen. Stella
Oduah, one of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship aspirants in
Anambra, said she abstained from the party’s primary election on Monday
because
candidates were imposed on the party.
The lawmaker
made this known in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
in Abuja on Monday.
She
described the development as unacceptable, particularly for a party that was
just trying to get its footing after undergoing a major leadership crisis.
She said
party members that were not part of the struggle during the crisis period were
suddenly imposed on the party members.
“There must
be incentive for loyalty. Party loyalists must have a say.
“When you
deny their participation, you deny them that incentive they get from being the
torchbearers of the party. So, I think it’s morally wrong for this to happen.
“Secondly,
we are just coming out from `godfatherism’ that pervades the politics of
Anambra PDP.
“Thank God
for court judgment but with what is happening, they are bringing us back to
that era where we will be subjected to one man imposing a candidate on us.
“The
fundamental process that led to the three-man delegates was so chaotic and the
default was so fundamental.
“My people
were disenfranchised and I don’t want to be part of that process because it is
injustice.
“When you
have imposition, you have blocked that hope for them.
“You have
made it difficult and impossible for them to aspire to be anything within the
party because you are telling them that you can bring somebody from anywhere to
impose on them.
“Also,
bringing somebody from outside the party and who has not stayed for long, it
means that you are saying that you lack capacity within party members.
“But I don’t
think we lack capacity, I think PDP has enough capacity to run for that
election,’’ she said.
The lawmaker
said she was concerned that the development could lead to the party’s defeat in
the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Oduah,
representing Anambra North, had threatened to withdraw from Monday’s PDP
governorship primaries on grounds that the party’s ward congresses was fraught
with “irregularities and sabotage’’.
She
disclosed that she had petitioned the Chairman, PDP National Caretaker
Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, for a review of the delegates’ list, failure of which
would make her withdraw from the exercise.
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