Politics | Imo East: Kemdi Opara kicks against imposition of consensus candidate
Imo East: Kemdi Opara kicks against imposition of consensus candidate
...Says no primary took place
A leading contestant for the ticket of All Progressives Congress for Imo East senatorial district, Dr Kemdi Chino Opara, has rejected the plot to impose a candidate on the party in the guise of a consensus candidate.
Opara said that no primary election has been held in the senatorial district, adding that the provocative imposition of a candidate on the party was against the constitution of the party.
Opara, in a statement on Sunday described the process as a show of shame which should be rejected by all lovers of democracy.
The leading aspirant said that he won't be part of a plot to undermine democracy by stealing the people's will in the guise of imposition of a consensus candidate.
Opara said that APC should have deepened democracy by subjecting all the aspirants to a popularity contest through a transparent primary election.
Part of the statement read "as a people with good conscience, prized reputation, good moral standards and strong integrity, we can't be involved in such a brazen impunity and wanton theft of the people's will, all in the name of politics, no matter what is at stake.
"Politics should be not associated with anything bad, immoral, indecent and evil. A charade that has no venue, no accredited delegates, no agents, no returning officer cannot be called an election to produce a senatorial candidate for the elitist people of Owerri zone.
"Please ignore the concocted figure allotted to me. I didn't participate. We therefore join other patriotic voices to condemn such art in its entirety. In the same vein, we call the leadership of our party APC to intervene and rescue our party from this eminent extinction rising from injustices meted on our members, here and there.
"We call on them to come down and conduct a proper primaries devoid of favouritism, hand picking, inducements, imposition and foisting a candidate against the wishes and aspirations of members. Rather they should come and conduct an exercise that will not only be free, fair and credible, but will be all embracing for survival of our nascent democracy.
"Let me also use this opportunity to thank my teeming supporters and delegates who followed us till the end. Please remain calm, maintain peace. We must fight and not relent in making sure that due process is followed, and justice done."
Meanwhile, wife of the Ondo State governor, Mrs Betty Akeredolu had since withdrawn from the race after accusing the state governor, Hope Uzodinma of hijacking the primary election in favour of one of the aspirants.
Mrs Akeredolu who stormed the party secretariat in Owerri in protest said that the governor had told the aspirants to withdraw from the race for a certain aspirant which she turned down and insisted that the aspirants be subjected to a popularity contest through a credible primary election.
