Just-ln: Obotebe PDP Aspirants Protest Against Takeme Younger Brother lmposition

Just-ln: Obotebe PDP Aspirants Protest Against Takeme Younger Brother lmposition

....... Urge Gov. Okowa, Esiso To Call Takeme To Order

Francis Tayor

Warri_____ An aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Ward 17 Councillorship aspirants in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State has staged a peaceful protest against the Chairman Delta South PDP, Chief Julius Takeme on alleged imposition of his immediate younger brother, Hon. Spencer Takeme for a second term against the will of the people.

The aggrieved aspirants who strongly believed they where shortchanged and deprived of their rights to contest and be voted for includes; Mr. Timi Bougha, Andaowei Okou, Christopher Bebenaghan and Prince Samisco Okpe accused Chief Takeme in what they described as a gross misconduct and abused of office in the process of selecting candidate in PDP.

The aggrieved protesters with their teeming supporters in Obotebe community carrying a placards of different inscriptions written; " Obotebe Ward 17 Rejects Imposition Of Candidate. Obotebe Ward 17 Wants Justice. Obotebe Ward17 Need A Consensus Candidate Not Your Immediate Younger Brother. Julius Takeme PDP Ward17 Is Bigger Than You And Your Immediate Family. PDP Ward17 Must Not Die. Julius Takeme Stop Politics Of, If Not Me, No One Else. Ward17, Obotebe Rejects Spencer Takeme. Julius Takeme Allow Obotebe ward17 To Choose Their Representative. Party Business Not Family Affairs".

They further alleged that Takeme who was privileged to be one of the leaders in ward 17 Obotebe and Delta South at large deliberately ignored the party guidelines in the process of selecting a candidate, thereby forcing his immediate younger brother for a second term to the detriment of other aspirants, as well as the entire Obotebe people who gave him (Takeme) the needed support for him to be who he is today in the state.

In their various reactions, they said, no primary election was conducted in Obotebe Ward 17.  According to them, said: " On the 14th of December, 2020, our leader Takeme invited all the councillorship aspirants, party stakeholders and delegates to his private residence in Warri. We were there to make our intention known to the people. But shortly after introduction, Chief Takeme, Hon. Amafini Akemotubo and other party stakeholders entered a close door meeting. What we heard behind was argument between Amafini and Takeme to the extent of exchanging blow. The next thing we saw was Takeme compelling the five delegates to sign an undertaking to return his immediate younger brother Spencer Takeme for a second term or they lose their position as party executive members in the ward. It was based on this circumstances, the five working committee members of the party signed the document for him under duress, thereby forcing his brother on us in the name of consensus candidate. There was no primary election as far as Obotebe ward 17 is concerned, the aggrieved aspirants stated."

Party politics is bigger than one man and his immediate family, thus the flagrant abuse of  powers in undermining existing democratic norms will no doubt turn the party in the Ward into chaos. Therefore, remediation of this ugly trend is sacrosanct, as they called on the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Sen Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, the state party Chairman, Olorogun Barr. Kingsley Esiso, Chief Tunde Smooth and other party leaders to intervene as a matter of urgency and call Takeme to do the right thing for peace to reign in the party, otherwise, we fear the outcome comes 6th of March, 2021, the statement adds.