2023: Okowa Halts Sale Of PDP Forms To Aspirants?

Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has allegedly instructed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to sell expression of interest and nomination forms to any aspirants from the state without his clearance. The accusation was made by aspirants from the south-south state after they were reportedly denied forms at party’s headquarters in Abuja.Recall that the opposition announced the sales of forms for aspirants vying for various elective positions. PDP fixed N40 million as the cost of forms for presidential candidates seeking election on its platform. For the governorship ticket, expression of interest form goes for N1 million while the nomination form is N20 million.

An aspirant for the House of Representatives speaking under the condition of anonymity said he was denied the expression of interest and nomination forms when he went to the party’s secretariat The lawmaker explained that the party was obeying Okowa’s instructions not sell forms to any aspirants from Delta state without his clearance.

He said: “Can you imagine, for good two days now I am still in Abuja just to purchase my expression of interest and nomination forms and I am being denied that I must get clearance from my state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa? They said that there’s a standing order that aspirants without the governor’s clearance should be denied the forms. Is this democracy or what? As I talk to you, there are so many PDP aspirants who came for the forms who have been denied because of the governor’s orders to the party here in Abuja.”

Another source was quoted as saying: “Some of the aspirants who have been lucky to buy theirs went through long connections and sidestepped the governor’s orders. Aspirants for House of Representatives, Senate and governorship who came to purchase their forms are stranded here in Abuja as they were denied the forms. Even we were also told that the governor of Akwa-Ibom state, Emmanuel Udom, gave such an order to the party in Abuja.”

Meanwhile,Okowa’s Chief Press Secretary, Olise Ifeajika has denied that the governor gave such orders. While noting that people are free to get their forms, Ifeajika maintained Okowo he knows cannot give such instructions. Ifeajika went on to note that the opposition party is supreme. In an earlier report by Vanguard, the governor gave the assurance that PDP remained one united family in the state. Okowa assured Delta state PDP leaders that the primaries for all elective positions will be free and credible. He made the disclosure while addressing party members at a mega rally organised at the Cenotaph, Asaba.