Again, PDP Primaries For DTHA Aspirants Fails To Hold In Ethiope East

–Incumbent Alleges Plans By “Agbon Political Cabal”, Electoral Officials To Disenfranchise Him

– As Ivwurie, Akpowowo Trade Blames For Failed Primaries, Violence

By Our Correspondents

Despite the deadline of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for political parties to produce their candidates for the forthcoming elections in 2019 by latest Monday, October 7, 2018, the primaries for aspirants seeking to clinch the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for Ethiope East Constituency, ended on a sad note, as violence marred the whole exercise after its postponement from Thursday to Friday.

Officials of the party including the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Patrick Ukah scampered for safety as thugs invaded the venue of the primaries holding at Isiokolo.

A police Hillux van was set blaze, while party electoral officers, policemen and delegates fled for safety when irate youths ran riot, Friday, at the venue.

The electoral officials, Patrick Ukah, his Basic Education counterpart, Patrick Ebie and Commissioner for Water Resources, Fidelis Tilije, were whisked away from the venue.

The incumbent lawmaker, Chief Evance Ivwurie, Arthur Atigogo, Prince Joshua Atigogo and Kelly Erwujakpor are in contention for the party’s ticket.

According to one of the aspirants, “trouble started when Evance accosted the officials over why the exercise would start in his absence. Irked by the conduct of the officials, a verbal confrontation ensued, which was followed by his tearing of the result sheet.”

Sensing the commotion, some youths invaded the venue and disrupted the exercise with officials and delegates scampering for safety.

Angered by the turnout of events, which would have turned into a full blown clash between supporters of the various aspirants, the youths unleashed their anger on the police allegedly for failing to provide security for the safety of the exercise. Sporadic gunshots by the police did not deter the youths.

Contacted, officials of the party, including the state Chairman, Barr. Kingsley Esiso and the Organizing Secretary, Chief Sunday Onoriode, declined comments on the incident, saying they were in Port-Harcourt for the PDP National Convention.

An anonymous source disclosed that Evance Ivwurie was actually called to the venue for the primaries by one of the officials before the commencement of voting before he showed up.

We also gathered that the voting materials for the primaries are safe with the officials, but at the time of filing this report, we could not ascertain if a new date has been fixed for the election.

Also, we learnt that the saving grace for Evance Ivwurie was his driver, as the youths were bent on venting their anger on him for disrupting the exercise. His car windscreens were all confirmed destroyed as he narrowly escaped lynching by the angry youths.

Responding to the allegations, Ivwurie during a phone conversation with this medium alleged a gang up against him by the Agbon people and the electoral officials to disenfranchise hims.

His words: “You know six Agbon sons who participated in the Ethiope Federal House of Representatives primaries all lost out and some political cabal in Agbon kingdom want to get this House of Assembly ticket by all means. This is a discrimination against me as I am a respected Agbon chief.

“This is the sole reason why they shifted the primaries from Thursday to Friday because of the so much tension.”

Ivwurie disclosed that after putting a call across to the party executive, he was told to be at the venue by 2p.m., when the electoral officers would have arrived from Asaba, saying that he was amazed that by the time he got there, accreditation of delegates were almost completed.

According to him, the argument that followed resulted in the result sheets getting torn when he dragged it with one of the officials, adding that his position was that the primaries should not go ahead until they start the delegates accreditation all over again.

This request, he said the electoral officers yielded to, but this decision was resisted by one of the aspirants who directed that the gate leading to the venue be shut. Immediately, he had to make for his car, seeing that the place was surrounded by hoodlums and thugs.

In the process, his side, the front and back windscreen of his car were shattered and other damages, as he, his driver, wife and orderly sustained injuries during the attack.

“We escaped death by whiskers after the mobile policemen took over the place and that is how we were able to escape from the place,” he added.

Continuing, the lawmaker disclosed that he has contacted the party and registered his grievances, adding that he has been reliably informed that a new date for the exercise to either hold in Isiokolo or Asaba would be determined by the party hierarchy.

Meanwhile, Akpowowo has blamed the incidence on Ivwurie, adding that he (Ivwurie) was not sure of victory hence he acted the way he did.

He also called on his supporters to remain calm and wait for the next line of action to be taken by the party.