By Omos Oyinbode, Asaba
Barely one week after the Delta State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Edwin Uzor, denied any alliance between the PDP and Accord Party in the state, the State Chairman of Accord, Pastor David Ashikodi, said his party would remain faithful to the terms of alliance with the PDP through which it is backing the PDP Presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for the March 28 elections.
In a statement signed by the PDP Chairman, Edwin Uzor said the party was not in any alliance with Accord Party as it had earlier announced the expulsion of PDP members who are seeking elections in other parties including the Accord Party.
In the month of February, the PDP expelled Victor Ochei, former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, who contested the governorship primaries under PDP and lost to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa but had decamped the Accord Party to contest the Delta Senate against Peter Nwaoboshi, former PDP state Chairman and PDP’s candidate for Delta North zone.
Others expelled are Doris Uboh, former member of House of Representatives, representing Ika Federal Constituency, who is contesting the for the House under Accord Party, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege, who contested governorship primaries and also lost to Okowa but now contesting Delta Central Senate under Labour Party against PDP’s candidate, Chief Ighoyota Amori.
The statement signed by Uzor enjoined all members of the public to discountenance the alleged accord with PDP as it is false and be discarded.
But in an interaction with journalists in Asaba, the Accord Chairman, David Ashikodi, had advised the PDP leadership in the state to avoid comments that infringe on the sanctity of the deal by saying it has no electoral pact with the Accord Party.
Ashikodi said while Accord Party had always served the state leadership of the PDP and protected its interest politically over the past 16 years of democracy, the leadership of PDP and Accord at the national level had allied in support of the PDP presidential candidate in the forthcoming general elections.
He said the following the accord, the party’s flag bearers in the state had been campaigning not only for Jonathan but also for the PDP governorship candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.
According to Ashikodi, recent remarks credited to some PDP leaders that Delta State Accord Party had no understanding with the PDP in the state ran counter with the spirit and letter of not only the existing tradition in the state polity, but also in relation to the existing alliance that had made Accord to support President Jonathan in the March 28 elections.
He wondered whether such remarks were well thought out in the light of the complex political environment in the state, especially in relation to the forthcoming governorship elections and advised those behind such to reflect deeply on the potential negative effects of their actions.
