By Lawanson Oluwatope
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ikeja Federal Constituency primaries, conducted at Victory Home School, Toyin Street, Ikeja, has been declared inconclusive, by the Returning Officer, Mr Olalekan Al-Maroof.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the primaries was declared inconclusive following a disagreement by the ward chairmen over the delegates list sent by the party’s secretariat.
They had claimed that it was different from the list of candidates voted from the wards.
The Ikeja Federal Constituency constitutes 10 wards, with three delegates from each of the wards, that makes a total of 30 delegates, expected for the primaries.
The ward chairmen, however disagreed, saying that those presented as delegates were not members of the wards and should be disenfranchised.
However, the State House Assembly Constituency 2, was held, as the ward chairmen allowed the voting to go as planned.
The election in the constituency was won by Olumide Omitade who polled 11 votes to defeat the other two candidates, who polled two and one vote respectively.
Mrs Kate Onyechere, the All Non-indigene Chairperson, PDP, told NAN that the list sent by the party Secretariat was not in tandem with what the ward chairmen sent, hence, the election could not hold.
“We can see what we are experiencing here. The list sent from the state’s secretariat was different from what the ward chairmen sent to them.
“We cannot continue to be like this;we need to organise ourselves properly if we want to stand any chance of winning elections in the coming polls.
“I also noticed that the youths here are agitated and I asked why they are like that. Is it because of the little money they were given the reason for this type of shame?
“We need to behave well because this is the reality of 21st century and we must be seen to be doing things in a proper way,” she said.
The winners of the Ikeja 2 State House of Assembly, Omitade , however lauded the conduct of the election and the opportunity to be presented as the PDP’s flagbearer, for the 2023 election.
“I am happy to win this primaries, I thank all that participated in the election, my party PDP, the delegates and others.
“The process of the election is okay by me and I am happy with the way things turns out to be,” he said (NAN)
