The Peoples Democratic Party has made a U-turn on its position on the inconclusive November 16 governorship election in Anambra State which it earlier described as free, fair and credible.

It also debunked claims in some quarters that it had abandoned its candidate in the election, Mr. Tony Nwoye.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH in Abuja, on Thursday, denied describing the election as free, fair and credible.

He said that the party’s position which he expressed on Sunday was to commend the President and other stakeholders for providing an enabling environment for the peaceful conduct of the polls.

Metuh, had in the statement issued a day after the election, expressed gratitude to the President, security agencies and other stakeholders for the conduct of “a free, fair and credible election.” This, he said, was “in spite of any perceived hitch(es).”

The recant came as the popular masses group in the South East, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, said it would hold a two-day meeting at its headquarters in Okigwe, Imo State, where it will deliberate on the outcome of the inconclusive election.

MASSOB told Saturday PUNCH on Thursday that the meeting would start on Friday and end on Saturday, adding that the group would make its position on the election known after the meeting.

Metuh had on Sunday said, “The Peoples Democratic Party hereby commends President Goodluck Jonathan for providing adequate security and the enabling environment for the conduct of credible, free and fair governorship election in

Anambra State last Saturday in spite of any perceived hitch (es).

“In the same vein, we commend the entire people of Anambra State and all stakeholders who played key roles in ensuring peaceful and orderly conduct of the process.”

He had also said while the party awaited the official result, “it expressed its satisfaction that the election was conducted without disturbances, despite the massive importation of political thugs by the All progressives Congress as well as their heinous plots to introduce violence to disrupt and rig the poll.’’

However, on Thursday when asked if the party’s position was not at variance with the position taken by its candidate, who joined other candidates in demanding fresh elections, Metuh insisted that there was no contradiction.

He said “We commended the President and the electoral officers for providing the enabling environment for this election.

“Mind you, what we said (last SUNDAY) was that we commended them for providing an enabling environment. We never said whether it was peaceful or credible or free and fair.

“It’s a question of semantics, we were more concerned with the fact that APC wanted to rig the election and that they wanted to cause a lot of violence and mayhem in Anambra but the security forces were capable of handling the situation and they stopped them.

“It has nothing to do with the conduct of the election but the creation of the enabling environment for a peaceful, credible, free and fair poll.”

Metuh also denied claims that the PDP was conniving with the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance in order to gain support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 ambition.

He said the point needed to be made that the PDP fielded Prof. Charles Soludo as candidate in the 2011 Anambra governorship election, worked hard towards his election but that this did not prevent APGA from supporting the President.

The spokesman said, “So the notion that we are doing this or that because of the 2015 Presidency is not true.

“With what has happened before with the norms and the practice of the party in the past, we don’t need to justify any such thing.”

MASSOB meeting which began on Friday, Saturday PUNCH learnt, was convened to enable the group to present a joint position on the election.

Before the November 16 election, MASSOB had declared that it was not in support of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the ruling party in the state and the leading party in the inconclusive election going by the results so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. MASSOB members are largely poor masses in the South East region.

The Director of Information of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, said, “We will definitely come out with our position on Saturday.”

Though Madu declined making personal comments on the election, he said MASSOB was concerned about the conduct of the election and the outcome. “That is why we are going to discuss it. Please, just be patient I will let you know what our position will be on Saturday,” he said.

Already, security agencies in Awka, the state capital are said to be having a herculean task containing the number of pro-cancellation and anti-cancellation demonstrators that have been besieging the INEC office to either protest or support the election that the electoral body itself admitted was shoddy.

There are fears that this situation may soon get out of hand if left uncontrolled. A pub operator at Aromma Junction where demonstrators usually meet before proceeding to INEC office, Mr. Ken Okoye, said, “It is a matter of time before these groups will clash and throw the state into another round of political mayhem.”

But the Secretary General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo organisation,

Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, has appealed to the Igbo to remain peaceful and allow the process of the Anambra election to run its course. “Igbos must maintain the peace because what will be will be,” he said.

He told Saturday PUNCH that though Ohanaeze would hold a position on the election, it would want INEC to complete its work.. He said, “We will want INEC to complete election and make its announcement. We cannot comment at this point in time.”

However, a lawyer and a former local government chairman, Mr. Clems Ezika, said INEC should cancel the election, adding that the responsibility of getting the state out of the logjam rested with the electoral body.

Ezika said Section 30 – 34 of the Electoral Act empowered INEC to cancel elections that have not been concluded.

Meanwhile the police in Anambra State have warned against illegal gatherings in the state. The force has also asked trouble makers to stay clear of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka, told Saturday PUNCH that the command was prepared to deal with anyone that foments trouble in the state.

www.punchng.com/news/pdp-makes-u-turn-on-anambra-election/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

okay...this Metuh must be a clown...and PDP must be a shrine...fake people deceiving people




In other news...a Nigerian youth has distinguished himself in grand style. According to him, bringing a good name to his family and nation is a self-rewarding act and must be seen by all as such, to this effect he dedicated his F.T.C award to the victims of slave trade, victims of terrorist attacks as well as the ordinary poor Nigerians who still do not even know what it feels like using a computer let alone being online. it's unfortunate that these are the bulk of the electorate who are obviously not aware of various corruption news going around, so they simply cast their votes in the name of "na our pikin"...May God Help Us sha...

I pity for my dear country. Can you see how an elderly man is eating his words because he wants to 'RE- LIE' to cover up another LIE? How will you explain this to your morally educated children that you have not fumbled big time?

Whether People Destroying/Deceiving People or All Prothieftians Congress, all have same leopard's spots. Thieves

We all kno dat PDP at d centre has two candidates for dis election: Tony Nwoye & Willy Obiano. Metuh shld hav respected himself by tactically avoiding a clear statement on weda d election was free & fair. He goofed big time!

iam_idris: Make I run comment before all those hungry first to comment mongers enter thread

Haba

When going through the publication, I concluded it must be from Punch and it turned out to be so. We know their mission and propaganda as the media mouth piece of the APC. This time they need to realise that nobody takes their report serious these days. More so, Willie is the Governor In Waiting and no weapon fashioned against him by the South West press shall prosper. Can I hear somebody say a big Amen.

Confused, Double-mouthed humpty dumpty..... PDP is everything wrong with Human Governance and Civil Development.

warrior01: When going through the publication and concluded it must be from Punch and it turned out to be so. We know their mission and propaganda as the media mouth piece of the APC. This time they realise that nobody takes their report serious these days. More so, Willie is the Governor In Waiting and no weapon fashioned against him by the South West press shall prosper. Can I hear somebody say a big Amen.

sorry bro bt Y d Fixation with South West, u Seems Scared of d Yoruba's bt nt to worry Yoruba's dnt bite dey are really accommodating pple...
You av gotten d governor of your standard, so deal with him...

Provie: We all kno dat PDP at d centre has two candidates for dis election: Tony Nwoye & Willy Obiano. Metuh shld hav respected himself by tactically avoiding a clear statement on weda d election was free & fair. He goofed big time!

uncle, u stole my work. sometimes my heart fly with the way ppl reason deep and not flow with the crowd. pdp is as fraudulent as it is confused. they are fielding two different candidates from different parties in the same election just to be double sure that their nemesis (apc) does not happen soon. the only problem i have with these evil men is that they take nigerians for-granted. the lie cheap lies and care-less about what we think or believe.
the only way forward is to destroy this gang(pdp) and build a new nigeria that will be free or evil men of under-world. as long as these shameless group is in charge, it will always be from one rubbish story to another.
the man who is supposed to be on ground and tell nigerians what is going on is busy flying up and down with his usual 600 aides on board in the name of bringing foreign investors. who is that mad man that will come to invest is a country that is unstable politically, personally, internationally, emotionally, economically, spiritually, electrically, biologically, basically, physically, philosophically etc.
who is not even aware that nigerians sleep at different embassies just to obtain visa to anywhere and escape this man made hell.
the naughty professor in charge of selection has admitted irregularities in the election and as such shld in his usual way ask for more money and re-schedule another selection date. free and fair my foot.

warrior01: When going through the publication and concluded it must be from Punch and it turned out to be so. We know their mission and propaganda as the media mouth piece of the APC. This time they realise that nobody takes their report serious these days. More so, Willie is the Governor In Waiting and no weapon fashioned against him by the South West press shall prosper. Can I hear somebody say a big Amen.

Wanna respond to you but Words failed me. It's a damn shame.

PDP with their double standard and double-speaking tendency. Mtcheeeeeeewwwwwwwww.

We all know that election was not fair, this is Nigeria and It's nothing to argue about.

Elliotwiz1: We all know that election was not fair, this is Nigeria and It's nothing to argue about.

Pls, what's not fair about the election? If it favours your amala party, it will automatically be credible but once it comes out otherwise, you people will start with your rubbish propaganda. Now, we know better. Anambrarians rejected you and we will continue to do so.

warrior01:

Pls, what's not fair about the election? If it favours your amala party, it will automatically be credible but once it comes out otherwise, you people will start with your rubbish propaganda. Now, we know better. Anambrarians rejected you and we will continue to do so.

What're you saying? Confused# i'm not a yoruba, what i'm saying is that elections generally, in every part of Nigeria is always not free and fair.

like i said before Chief Willie Obiano is Anambra State governor Elect

warrior01: When going through the publication and concluded it must be from Punch and it turned out to be so. We know their mission and propaganda as the media mouth piece of the APC. This time they realise that nobody takes their report serious these days. More so, Willie is the Governor In Waiting and no weapon fashioned against him by the South West press shall prosper. Can I hear somebody say a big Amen.

Bro, u be big fool.

Who cares what they said? :/

why cant PDP say a truth in all their tenures?

Ah, I guess I was hallucinating when I saw this same Metuh of the PDP on AIT saying the election was free and fair. Gov. Chime, please confine me in your governor's lodge, I think I'm loosing my mind. Mtschewww...

LOL!!!

The double mouthed political party

in naija

I won't be surprises seeing this, because even a new born baby knows the election was not free and fair.

Willie Obiano is de heir 2 de throne. Kokoronkoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! Ngige can come bak and contest in 2022 or contest 4 de traditional seat of his home town if he can't wait 4 2022 or best contest against Aregbesola come next year at Osun state

Was the election conducted peacefully?
Was is it fair?
Was it it free?
In as much as the election was conducted in peace, one can rightly say it was free and fair. To me free and fair in this case is relative, you can apply it as you deem fit- same as the writer of this sympathy-seeking piece of work.
BTW, what has MASSOB now have to do with PDP? Is it now a decision making organ of the PDP? #wordofadvicetothewriter #onlygulliblepeoplewillfallforyourshit #eatit #youfailedwoefully.

warrior01: When going through the publication and concluded it must be from Punch and it turned out to be so. We know their mission and propaganda as the media mouth piece of the APC. This time they realise that nobody takes their report serious these days. More so, Willie is the Governor In Waiting and no weapon fashioned against him by the South West press shall prosper. Can I hear somebody say a big Amen.

Amen Amen Amen

D poster is by Olatunji by name, probably from d Western part of d country and d PDP spokesman Olisa Metuh working for d party that has its national headquater at Abuja. Please Olatunji stop promoting chaosity via media in d State. Both of u shouldn't complain or feed d nation wit information concerning Anambra. @Op concentrate on ur state and mr Metuh, run ur job from d headquater, and not from d State.

sylvar02:

Haba

iam_idris: Make I run comment before all those
hungry first to comment mongers enter thread


U don't nd 2 use HABA!!! Their's a way u can call someone a fool n he we laugh to it.

ICHIEMAN: D poster is by Olatunji by name, probably from d Western part of d country and d PDP spokesman Olisa Metuh working for d party that has its national headquater at Abuja. Please Olatunji stop promoting chaosity via media in d State. Both of u shouldn't complain or feed d nation wit information concerning Anambra. @Op concentrate on ur state and mr Metuh, run ur job from d headquater, and not from d State.

tell that to punch or is olatunji the owner of punch?

iam_idris: Make I run comment before all those hungry first to comment mongers enter thread

Lol.. U got it.

Idi Amin: Whether People Destroying/Deceiving People or All Prothieftians Congress, all have same leopard's spots. Thieves

Mark my word, no one can eva satisfy you!!!
You don't see anytin gud in pdp nd d best opposition we have (APC).
Get a life bro!