Although they asked not to be named, some of the aspirants and party officials told SaharaReporters that despite repeated assurances by Okowa, who hails from the area, and Esiso, that a level-playing field would be provided for free, fair and credible primaries, plans have been concluded for the imposition.
Tension is currently brewing among Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in Delta North Senatorial District (Anioma) over alleged plans by Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, and the state PDP chairman, Kingsley Esiso, to impose candidates.
Although they asked not to be named, some of the aspirants and party officials told SaharaReporters that despite repeated assurances by Okowa, who hails from the area, and Esiso, that a level-playing field would be provided for free, fair and credible primaries, plans have been concluded for the imposition.
A member of the party in the area and one-time aide to a former commissioner from Agbor, who simply identified himself as Chukwudi, said: "Party members have lost total trust and confidence in the state governor and the party chairman. State and National Assembly aspirants in Delta North have lost trust and confidence in the process."
According to Chukwudi, all the aspirants have vowed to ensure that only popular candidates emerge from the primaries, with a pledge that “they are fully prepared to confront and tackle any form or act of sabotage or any attempt by anyone, to subvert the process of a free, fair, credible and transparent primaries in the area”.
One of the aspirants said: "We the aspirants have uncovered a covert scheme already at advanced stages across the various constituencies of the senatorial zone, to manipulate the process so as to ensure the emergence of those identified as the Governor's secretly anointed candidates.
"I can tell you that certain individuals, most of whom are the governor's appointees, have audaciously assumed this role as henchmen and have been instructed in what to do, in connivance with the leadership of the party in the state, to ensure that the anointed candidates have a smooth sail during the primaries.
"Some of these so-called 'anointed' aspirants are now brimming with confidence and boasting, having secured the assurances of the state governor and the party leadership in affirming their status as the preferred candidates. I am from the Ika axis, and there is no constituency that this imposition is not taking place.
"Like in Aniocha and Oshimili State constituencies that make up the Federal constituency, in particular, the State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Emma Chinye and a former council chairman now Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Peace Building and Rural Development, Jaunty Okwudi are those the governor is using for the imposition."
However, the Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Emma Chinye and the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Peace Building and Rural Development, Jaunty Okwudi, denied the allegations, stating that they were at no time directed by the governor for any such imposition.
Chinye said he was not even a delegate for the primaries, though he had his personal interest. Meanwhile, Okwudi said PDP wiould not repeat its past mistakes.
Okwudi said: "As a grassroots politician, I make bold to say categorically that there will be nothing like imposition of candidates this time around. The party, especially in Aniocha North where I am from and which is my constituency, is now wiser more than ever before to make the mistakes of the past."
Also, reacting to the allegations, Esiso disclosed that nobody, including himself and the governor, instructed anybody to deliver any ‘anointed’ candidate.
"Nobody has instructed anybody to deliver any candidate, but in politics, there is what we call interest and interest is natural," he said.
"When somebody goes about propagating his own interest, it does not mean that the governor instructed him. You cannot say because I am chairman, I should not have interest even in my constituency.
"Of course I will keep my interest to myself but I cannot tell other party men not to express their interests. Everyone is free to go about and propagate his or her interest but nobody has instructed anybody like it is being bandied about. The delegates are already known and the aspirants should concentrate on wooing them. It is going to be a popularity contest not imposition.
"Some of the aspirants have now adopted the strategy of name-dropping to swing delegates' support, and I urge all aspirants to desist from such unethical strategies and fraudulent methods. They should embark on more issues based and people-friendly campaign to convince the delegates to vote for them during the primaries.
"Don't bother yourself about what your opponent is doing by dropping the governor's name or the party chairman's name, because it is already an exercise in futility since neither the governor nor the party chairman will come and campaign or even vote in your constituency. Name-dropping is already a failed strategy, so I advise all aspirants to devise other strategies that will appeal to the delegates.”