Another governorship aspirant, Chief James Augoye, has tongue lashed Delta Central Political Pressure group, DC-23, accusing it of usurping the constitutional powers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The war of words erupted after the political pressure group further pruned number of aspirants to three, favouring three out of the twelve aspirants. The three final aspirants as presented by DC-23 are; Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, Chief David Edevbie and Chief Kenneth Gbagi.
According to Augoye who briefed newsmen in Asaba, after the names of DC-23 most outstanding three aspirants were made public, the Chief Ighoyota Amori led group goofed by acting ultra vires their powers as mere political pressure group without legal backing whatsoever to screen and prune down names of governorship aspirants in Delta State.
He further averred that political parties were the only legitimate and qualified entities to decide the faith of aspirants by presenting one of them for governorship race come 2023, adding that he presented himself for screening just to fulfil all righteousness, not that DC-23 had the powers to so act.
“The final list of three governorship aspirants released by DC-23 is laughable because the group lacked the moral and legal justification to usurp the functions of PDP. The constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria gave powers to political parties registered and recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to present candidates for election, not pressure groups.
“I presented myself for screening just to fulfill all righteousness. DC-23 lacked the powers to infringe on the fundamental rights of aspirants, and its time to let them know that their screening and pruning of aspirants goes to no issue; which is why I must stick to the mandate given to me by Deltans to be their next Governor in 2023, and we shall meet at the party primaries” Augoye vowed.
When contacted, the pre-inaugural publicist of DC-23 before he resigned his membership of the group, Chief Barr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, JP, said, it was okay for the group to lobby leaders and groups of other ethnic nationalities across the state to support power shift to Delta Central but that going further to screen and prune down aspirants to three was distasteful because it fractured the fundamental rights of the sacked aspirants as enshrined in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
He posited that DC-23 ought to have engaged the aspirants privately and on individual basis, to on their own step down to narrow the gap which would have yielded better results than screening and shortlisting, adding that political pressure groups neither screened nor presented three candidates to incumbent governors in 2007 and 2015 governorship elections in the state.
“For the fact that the aspirants affected by DC-23 screening refused to accept the outcome of their activities had to a large extent nullified the entire process, making it null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.
“DC-23 lacked the power to screen and recommend aspirants, which boils down to the assurance given by the state party leader of PDP and Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, that a free, fair and transparent primaries will determine the party’s gubernatorial flag bearer in 2023.
“Gov Okowa, doggedly fought his way to victory in 2015. Lobby groups did not screen and present aspirants for the then governor to pick one of them as preferred aspirant or candidate, why do so in 2023? Why guide or coerce the governor to pick one from your recommended list of three aspirants, out of twelve aspirants. Was it so in 2007 and 2015?
“It follows that DC-23 ought to terminate her screening exercise and align with the free, fair and transparent primaries position of the Governor and party leader, but still went further to invite humiliation and embarrassment for itself, as can be seen from the negative reactions of Chief Augoye, rejecting the outcome of the entire process.
“I must commend DC-23 and her leadership for excellent job in the area of wide lobby consultations across the state, which to a large extent brought sanity and dignity to the conduct of aspirants and major stakeholders across board,” Oghenesivbe said.