Iyorchia Ayu, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seems to have started his own offensive against the G-5 governors, led by Nyesom Wike, before the party’s elections later this month.
According to an investigation by The names of poll workers generated by the governors and sent to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja for later submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission have been destroyed by INEC.
At polling places and collation centres, only party agents who have received INEC accreditation are permitted.
Ayu worries that the party won’t be able to put its future in the hands of individuals chosen by the governors who disagree with it.
Each party is allowed one representative at each polling place and counting centre under the Electoral Act.
Before the results of the voting at the polling places and collation centres are made public, the agents are obliged to sign the result sheets.
Ayu and his team at the PDP National Secretariat reportedly made the decision to scrutinise the lists of potential agents from the G-5 and a few other states for what one source described as safety reasons.
Well, I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but I have to tell you that the National Secretariat is in charge of sending the lists of party agents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in advance of the election.
“The state chapters can help compile such a list for their states, but the National Chairman decides who acts as a party agent and who doesn’t.” Remember that the presidential candidate may also have a preference for some Americans. He should have the right to select who will act as his agents at the polls because the election is his to hold.
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Furthermore, there is no way that the PDP campaign committee’s state leadership will be in charge while someone else creates a list of agents. The structure is that the party’s campaign committee is in charge of all elections. Therefore, it is appropriate for the party to demand that all parties involved in creating the list of party agents coordinate with the PCC in their state.
If that’s what you mean when you say that Ayu has rejected some listings, you must realise that this is standard practise to prevent duplication of the aforementioned lists.
A party source stated that several candidates for the position of agent had their names rejected, but they added that those candidates are still working for the government as appointees at the moment.
The source called attention to Electoral Act 2022 clauses that forbid government personnel from acting as party agents during elections.
However, the Act stipulated that in order for these government employees to be able to run as party agents at polling places, they had to resign from their jobs three months prior to the election.
Sources say that Ayu told the PDP state leaders in the affected states to work with the leaders of the campaign committees in their state to make the final list. This was after the PDP state leaders sent lists of party agents to the National Secretariat.
According to a PDP chairman in one of the South South states, he (Ayu) stated unequivocally that the lists from the campaign committee will be profiled and provided to INEC by the NWC.Since the state executives have always compiled and sent agents’ lists to Abuja, the decision is unique. We perceive this as an effort to destabilise the party’s state leadership, and we comprehend where this is all coming from.
Ayu’s claimed judgement on the topic has reportedly incensed the dissatisfied governors and their supporters, who are preparing for a confrontation.
“There is no way we will put our fate in their hands when we know Ayu is not rooting for us,” a G5 governor’s assistant declared. Since they no longer have faith in the state officials in command, it won’t be an issue if they nominate the party agents who will work during the presidential election.
But how are our lists for other races being rejected as well? We can smell some rats here.
The G-5 also includes the governors of Benue, Oyo, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Abia: Samuel Ortom, Seyi Makinde, and Okezie Ikpeazu.
They want Ayu to step down as chairman because it goes against the spirit of the PDP constitution for a region of the country to have both the presidential candidate and the national chairman.
They are no longer participating in Atiku’s campaign.
