PDP Wants Ohakim to Suspend Imo LG Polls
From Chuks Okocha in Abuja, 08.07.2010
Peoples Democratic Party  has asked Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State to stop today’s local government election in the state. According to a letter from the National Secretary of PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje dated July 26, 2010 with reference number PDP/NS/NVC/SE/014-2010 addressed to the National Vice Chairman of the party, Olisa Metu and copied to Ohakim, former governor of the state, Chief Achike Udenwa, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and the Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, the party said the directive to stop the election was to ensure final reconciliation and harmonisation of all interest groups and to ensure that the factions in the state are accommodated in the local government election.

The letter titled: “Decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) on the Imo State Chapter of the Party,” directed the National Vice Chairman to ensure that its decisions were carried out.

The letter, reads in part: “the NWC strongly advises that the state government postpone the August 7 local government council elections.This would make way for the conduct of credible primaries to be supervised by the National Secretariat.
“The Zonal Working Committee is to liaise with all the contending groups with a view to expeditiously implementing these directives and make necessary reports to the National Working Committee.”

PDP had also in the sharing arrangement approved by the NWC after its several reconciliation meeting said that the old PDP members should produce the candidates to the offices of the chairmen, while the new PDP in the state should produce the deputy chairmen and secretaries of the council chairmen. The sharing arrangement is such that the old PDP will produce 15 chairmansship candidates, while Ohakim and his group that came from the Progressive Peoples Allaince (PPA) will have 14 chairmanship candidates.

However, the council chairmen should not constitute an opposition to the governor, Chidi Ohakim.

The NWC of PDP further said that the template of the sharing formula should be used in harmonizing the local government and ward executives provided that no one group produces all the chairmen in all the local governments and words.

It is therefore to allow for the implementation of this resolution that the PDP directed that the local government election should be stopped to ensure total harmonization.

THISDAY gathered that Governor Ohakim told the National Vice Chairman of PDP, Olisa Metu that it was not possible for him to stop the conduct of the local government election because it is the duty of the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (IMSIEC) to stop the election.

Governor Ohakim further said that it was impossible to stop the election, as it is beyond his powers, explaining that under the circumstances, it is like President Goodluck Jonathan to ask the Prof. Attahiru Jega led INEC to stop the conduct of election that is already constitutional guaranteed.

Apart from this, the governor told the PDP that it is still not possible because PDP is not the only political party involved in the election. According to Governor Ohakim, “PDP is not the only political party involved in the election. There are more other fifty one other political parties.” THISDAY gathered that the NWC may sanction the Imo state governor should the election still go ahead to hold despite its directive.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=180131