Friday, March 29, 2024

LG poll: Supervisory councilor petitions DSIEC, accuses PDP chair, lawmaker of taking N5.1m bribe

The Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in Delta State, Olorogun Kingsley Esiso, is currently enmeshed in a N5.1 million alleged bribery scandal involving a member of the Delta State House of Assembly, Emeka Nwobi.
Nwobi, who is representing Aniocha North constituency in the Assembly, allegedly bribed the state Executive of the party and others to influence the party local government primaries to favour his candidate.
Our correspondent gathered that Nwobi allegedly bribed the leadership of the party in his local government and state Executive, led by Esiso with the sum of N5.1 million to install his candidate, who is alleged to be an All Progressives Congress member, as the councillorship candidate for Ward 8 in the January 6, 2018 council election in the state.
A Supervisory Councilor in Aniocha North Local Government Area, Mr. Christopher Okafor, in a petition obtained by our correspondent in Warri, alleged that Nwobi’s candidate, one Ekene Nwaonye, was the minority leader of the immediate past legislative arm of the council area.
In the petition, signed by Okafor’s counsel, S.N Nwalokor, and addressed to the Chairman, Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, Mike Ogbodu, the petitioner alleged that the said Nwaonye was brought into the race through the back door.
In his petition, Okafor alleged, “Nwobi gave the Ward Chairman, Victor Egbune, the sum of N100, 000 and N5 million to the PDP state executives to allow his candidate to be the councillorship flag bearer of the party against me.
“Our client is a faithful and law abiding member of PDP, supervisory councilor in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. He contributed to the building and growth of the PDP in the local government through regular attendance of party meetings, campaigning and voting for the party in all elections that have made the party a winning brand in the area.
“Our client has shown interest to participate in the coming local government councillorship election by putting all political campaign machinery on ground to ensure his victory in the coming local government election. Our client has in this regard consulted widely by reaching out to all well-meaning members of the PDP, leaders, youths and women to ensure his victory through a democratic selection by the party.”
The petitioner added, “Our client was amazed that one Ekene Nwaonye, a member of APC and Minority Leader in the Aniocha North legislative councilor, was projected through the back doors by some unscrupulous and so-called leaders in the local government area to emerge as the PDP candidate of Ward 8 Aniocha North LGA.
“This unlawful decision to make Ekene, an APC member, to fly the flag of PDP in the coming local government election, has thrust up an avalanche of reactions from well-meaning members of the public, including the Aniocha North Local Government legislature, APC Ward 7 chapter of Aniocha North LGA, Office of the leader of Aniocha North Local Government and finally the report of the screening committee for councillorship aspirants in Ward 8.

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