*As Odili, Thomas, Uboh, Azuya, Eyengho, Ogodo win tickets
By Emma Amaize, Jimitota Onoyume, Festus Ahon, Perez Brisibe, Ochuko Akuopha, Paul Olayemi, Theresa Ugbobu and Chancel Sunday
THE violent protests that have trailed the primaries of the two major parties in Delta State continued, yesterday, with delegates to the All Progressives Congress, APC, House of Assembly primary in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area, causing commotion over alleged embezzlement of their allowance by party officials.
On Thursday, a police van was set ablaze, while party electoral officials, policemen and delegates fled for their lives when some youths ran riot at the venue of the rescheduled Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, House of Assembly primary in Isiokolo, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.
The electoral officials were whisked away from the venue.
Confusion also reigned at a parallel House of Representatives primary of the APC for Udu/Ughelli North/ Ughelli South Federal Constituency held at Ovwian, Udu local government area, where thugs tried to disturb the process, but were tackled by policemen who fired sporadically into the air.
One of the aspirants, an indigene of Ughelli (names withheld), attempted to disturb the process during the counting of votes when he noticed that he was losing out, but the police, who threatened to arrest the aspirant, were able to restrain his thugs with their sporadic shooting.
Rev Francis Waive won the Udu primary conducted by the Prophet Jones Erue-led executive, while Mr. Ima Niboro, ex- Special Adviser Media to former President Goodluck Jonathan, was declared winner of the corresponding House of Representatives primary for Udu/Ughelli North/Ughelli South constituency conducted by the rival Chief Cyril Ogodo –led executive earlier on Thursday.
Waive was declared winner with 391 votes while his closest contender, Julius Akpovoka, got 299 votes with Andrew Orugbo and Rukevwe Ugwumba clinching 218 and 22 votes respectively.
For the Delta North APC senatorial primary, a former House of Representatives member, Hon. Doris Uboh, polled 829 votes against Mrs. Marian Ali’s 416 votes to clinch the party’s ticket.
Mr. Alex Eyengho also emerged the candidate of APC for Warri Federal Constituency, while Mr. Paul Odili, erstwhile Communications Manager to former governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, won the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency ticket on APC platform. He polled 182 votes to beat his closest rival, Azuka Agbidi, who scored 101 and Chinedum Olisa- 77.
A former Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, coordinator for Delta, Rivers and Edo States, Mr. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, won APC House of Representatives ticket for Isoko Federal Constituency, while Mr. Sebastian Okoh picked the party’s ticket for the Ika Federal Constituency.
Returning officer for parallel APC primary in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Hon Vincent Ochade, declared Tony Azuya, who got 421 votes, winner. He defeated Paul Adingupu, Ben Okonkwo and Kemmer Emina, who garnered 198, 91 and 65 votes respectively.
In the PDP Ethiope East primary, the incumbent lawmaker, Chief Evance Ivwurie, Prince Joshua Atigogo, Author Akpowowo and Kelly Erwujakpo were in contention for the party’s ticket.
Trouble allegedly erupted at the Ethiope East secretariat, venue of the primary, when a woman leader from one of the wards, accosted the officials over the exclusion of her name from the delegates’ list.
In Sapele, a former Sapele -Okpe community Chairman, Mr Moses Ogodo, won APC House of Assembly ticket.
Declaring the result, the Returning Officer, Mr Chuks Erhire, said Ogodo polled a total 286 votes as against Michael Omuvwie- 6 votes, Tuedor Akpevwe Jackson- 3 votes and ex-Sapele council boss, Godwin Atose, 1 vote.
Things went sour when, after casting their votes and waiting for the results, protesters, numbering over 20, approached the party executive demanding their allowances, a situation which led to a shouting match that almost degenerated to physical combat.
One of the protesters, Sarah, told Sunday Vanguard: “We were at the gubernatorial primaries at Asaba, no one gave us anything, same as our senatorial primaries in Ughelli, not one kobo they gave us. Yesterday (Thursday), a House of Representative aspirant took us to Isiokolo and only fed us twice.
“And as I speak to you, we have not set eyes on him before I left Isiokolo for Sapele today (yesterday), so let them give us our allowances,” she said.
A senior member of the party, who was said to be out of town, was however reached to pacify the protesting members before normalcy could return
A party source said, “The delegates’ allowances are intact, you know we have been busy so we have not had time to sort out their cash and hand it over to them but I can assure you they will start receiving their allowances from today (yesterday)”.
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/10/crisis-continues-to-rock-delta-pdp-apc-primaries/
