Rivers LG Polls: PDP Dares ACN …Let’s Meet In The Field

Recent alarm raised by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, that the forth-coming local government election in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government, and re-run polls in some councils in Rivers state would not be transparent has been condemned by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which described the view as the handiwork of lazy politicians and a dying party.

The Rivers State PDP further expressed surprise that rather than mobilise its followers and aspirants to go through transparent primaries to choose popular candidates for the forth-coming elections, the ACN had resorted to hair-raising, a sign it was not ready for the polls.

In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Mr. George Ukwuoma-Nwogba, said the scheduled elections would offer the ACN an opportunity to test its acceptability or otherwise among the electorate. “But every indicator points to a subtle method to chicken out aware that disgraceful thrashing awaits it at the polls,” Ukwuoma-Nwogba had declared.

“The forth-coming election is a grand chance for ACN to test its self-acclaimed populist grandstanding, an opportunity that would have shown the degree the population admires its style of politics. But every indicator points to a subtle method by the ACN to chicken out aware that disgraceful thrashing awaits it at the polls.

“Rivers State is a PDP State and that the ACN knows. Unfortunately, rather than heal itself of undemocratic practices, ACN prefers to run after the rat while its house burns. ACN members cannot remember when last the party conducted a Congress which is an essential ingredient in democracy. In over five years, ACN in Rivers State had merely existed in the newspapers and airwaves with no electoral success to justify its holier-than-thou pontifications.

“ACN in Rivers State has no formula to winning the confidence of voters, the reason is that it always trembles at the approach of any election in the state. If it had built true democracy within its fold, it would be eager to field candidates to vie for elective offices.”

“Democracy is tested at the polls,” Ukwuoma-Nwogba asserted, challenging the ACN to “swallow its pride and face the real job of party politics.”

Representative of the Rivers State Governor, and State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, in a handshake with the Head of Service, Barr Samuel LongJohn, during the State Civil Service 2013 New Year Thanksgiving/Dedication Service, in Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: Chris Monyanaga.