Uchenna Okolo
By Tony Adibe
An aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for Enugu East/Isi-Uzo House of Representatives, Barr. Uchenna Okolo has pleaded with the National leadership of the party to swiftly correct the charade that happened in the NDC House Representatives Primaries in Enugu East and Isi-Uzo Council Areas that covers the Enugu East/Isi Uzo House of Representatives seat.
Okolo also appealed to the party’s sole Presidential aspirant, Mr Peter Obi, to intervene and help to correct the anomalous situation created by “manipulators” who are bent on wrecking the party because of their selfish ambitions. Okolo said this while addressing journalists at the Nike Town Hall in Enugu East Council Area, venue of the NDC Party Primaries on Friday.
The NDC chieftain alleged that thugs invited by some “presumed godfathers” of the party in the venue intimidated his overwhelming supporters, videographers, and journalists meant to cover the event.
He said, his supporters, videographers, and journalists were ordered to leave the venue by the thugs, “but the massive voters gathered here are for me, you can see I have a massive crowd of NDC members following me.”
He, however, claimed victory and bemoaned the said irregularities in the NDC Enugu East/Isi-Uzo House of Representatives Primaries conducted on Friday. The NDC chieftain said that the mammoth number of his supporters, who are members of the NDC, filled the venue, but they were denied access to be counted and participate in the primaries.
He said, “Even though the party said they should not declare a winner here, that it should be sent back to Abuja for them to declare a winner. But it is obvious that I am the winner of the primaries they did today because people turned out for me. I am on the ground. I have the capacity.
“Nobody, among all the 10 people contesting for the seat, has the capacity to win during a major election. I am on the ground because I have been doing this before.”
Okolo also criticised the purported counting pattern of the allegedly deployed thugs, which jumps geometrically, saying: “So I thought this party is a party that will bring change to Nigerians.”
According to him, “They should not declare the person they said he won here the winner because the guy has no capacity, and in a proper election, he is not going to win because he has no capacity.
“Nobody knows him. He is not on the ground. And that is why they refuse to do the primaries. So, what I’m saying and requesting from the party is to do the needful. I’m the right person for this job, and I’m the right person who won. So even if they do a transparent primary 100 times, I am still going to win because I am on the ground. Everybody knows me.”
Okolo also alleged that the manipulators of the NDC primaries keep changing the venue for the primaries to be held in Isi-Uzo Council Area, which covers the second council area, making up the Enugu East/Isi-Uzo House of Representatives seat.
He said, “If the party continues this way, we are not going to win the election. We cannot go with these people who are not on the ground. They cannot even win their wards.”
