by crossriverwatch admin
Controversy has continued to trail the purported screening, mock election (selection) and primaries by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the forthcoming Local Government elections in Cross River State.
In Calabar South Local Government Area, one of the aspirants who out rightly rejected the purported mock election to select the councillorship candidate for Ward Six, Mr. Archibong Edem Orok alleged that the selection of Mr. Charles Ntiero who is also the serving councilor for the ward was contrary to the PDP’s guideline for the selection.
Archibong Orok in a petition to the state PDP chairman dated May 15, 2013 and copied to the Chapter Chairman of the party in Calabar South, the Chairman, Calabar South Local Government PDP Caucus and the Chairman, PDP Ward Six of Calabar South protested against nomination of Charles Ntiero for allegedly supplying false information.
The petition read in part, “I wish to protest against the recent nomination of Hon. Charles H. Ntiero as aspirant for Ward 6, Calabar South Local Government Area in the Peoples Democratic Party.
“My protest is predicated on the following grounds as provided for in the Peoples Democratic Party’s Guidelines for the conduct of primaries for the local government elections.
“Hon. Charles Henry Ntiero resides at Jehovah Witness Road, Akai Efa, Calabar Municipality, Cross River State. He has no family house or compound in Ward 6, Calabar South Local Government Area. This qualification of residing within the ward is mandatory and it’s strictly provided in Article 2(1) of the Guidelines for the conduct of primaries for local government election in Cross River State.
“The Ward Caucus did not screen the aspirant as provided for in the Guidelines before the mock election/nomination was conducted on May 14, 2013. The Ward Caucus allowed non party members to vote in the mock primary.
“The said non-party member is not a member of PDP Ward Caucus. The said person is Hon. Ewa Ewa Henshaw of CPC, Congress for Progressive Change who contested for Cross River State House of Assembly in Constituency 1 under CPC in 2011.
“The entire exercise leading to the selection/nomination of Hon. Charles H. Ntiero was tainted with serious irregularities and against the party guidelines, Orok who requested for proper selection/nomination stated.
The petitioner claimed that Ntiero has lived in Akai Efa which is neither in Ward Six nor Calabar South Local Government Area for about four years and has nothing at all to do with the ward and relying on the guidelines of the PDP which stipulated that, “Any aspirant who gives false information or makes false declaration in the Expression of Interest/Nomination Forms specified above shall be disqualified,” he appealed to the party to observe and implement what the guidelines stipulate.
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