*I am not an impostor, says korokorosei

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State has taken a new twist as Chieftains of the party in the area have warned the suspended party chairman, Hon. Korokorosei Sagbegha to stop parading himself as the party chairman.

Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Delta State

This warning was given in a press statement signed by Pastor Kenneth Ogiebiri, (new Chairman, PDP Burutu), Mr. Julius Takeime, (Former Chairman of Burutu PDP), Hon. Benike Joseph, (member Burutu PDP) and Justice Timi Akuma, (leader, Ward XI), they maintained that he was no longer chairman of Burutu PDP and should desist from parading himself as one.

But Hon. Korokorosei insisted that he was not an impostor but duly elected at a congress of March 10th 2012, saying that he remained the Burutu PDP Chairman pending the determination of the case he instituted in court over the matter. According to him, his purported suspension came to him as a rude shock.

The Burutu PDP Chieftains in their statement said that; “We are surprised to read in a newspaper recently when Hon. Korokorsei addressed himself as the Burutu PDP Chairman when he has been consumed by the well accepted October 1st, 2012 harmonization of the party in the area and in addition to that, he was recently suspended from the party for anti-party activities. We want to implore him to stop parading himself as Chairman of the party in the area.”

They added that; “Right now, he should think of how to appeal to the leaders of the party to lift the suspension on him and should desist from making inflammatory statement. The October 1st, 2012 harmononization of the party in Burutu is still on course and the accepted Chairman is Pastor Kenneth Ogeibiri and not Hon. Korokorosei who ought to be begging for the suspension on him to be lifted.

Hon, Korokorose in his reaction said; “I was elected as PDP chairman un-opposed on the 10th of March 2012 at the PDP local government congress and I went ahead to elect the state chairman and the national leaders that are ruling today. That is to tell you that nobody has removed me as a chairman and a group that did not even attend that congress is even imposed on me purportedly as the Chairman of Burutu PDP. And that was why we went to court because we do not want crisis and bloodshed in the area. I will not accept such imposition.”

Continuing, he said; “We want to be law abiding citizens, and as law abiding citizen I have to go to court to reclaim my mandate. Since we are in court, we should allow the court to declare the true position of things and eventually peace will return. I am going to abide by the judgment of the court because I think it will be in my favor.”

On his suspension from Burutu PDP, Hon. Korokorsei said; “The suspension came as surprise news to me because since I was elected as chairman there was no opposition. The place is relatively peaceful. But suddenly, the group I described as intolerant connived with some powerful forces and imposed someone on my seat without my knowledge. On the 1st of October, 2012 we heard that they have purportedly sworn-in a chairman who did not even attend congresses and who is a civil servant. They call him chairman because they are in a faction and we are surprised because a faction cannot suspend a whole.”

“The whole drama is being sponsored by those who are dancing a political dance in Burutu local government area. And the suspension cannot stand because these are people who are supposed to know the constitution of PDP. And because of that, they are even suspending the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. They do not have the power to suspend a minister. I am not even competent enough to suspend the minister. How can you suspend somebody who has not committed a crime?”