Youths from Osun state have protested in Abuja, the alleged plan by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus to impose a gubernatorial candidate on the party for the September 22 election.
The youths arrived at the Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5 Abuja, hosting the PDP Secretariat brandishing placards with various inscriptions suggesting that the national leadership of the party was complicit in the move to impose a candidate on the state branch of the party without a proper primary.
Some of the inscriptions on the posters read: “Secondus, no imposition in Osun, “Secondus, you’re a product of a fair election”, “Osun PDP youth against impunity,” “Secondus, don’t take money”, among others.
The protesters reportedly chanted political slogans and sang different songs.
But their attempts to make their way into the Secretariat premises were strongly resisted by the party security personnel on duty who slammed the gates against them.
The leader of the protesters, David Daramola, told journalists that they embarked on the action because they learnt that the party chairman and the National Working Committee had succumbed to pressure to impose a particular aspirant on the party.
Daramola said: “We are here to express our feelings to the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, because we learnt that so many things are going on in this premises which we think is abnormal.
“We learnt that they are trying to impose a candidate and money is involved.
“What we heard is that Prince Uche Secondus wanted to impose a candidate. The election has not been conducted but we want to guard against that from happening.”
Also speaking, Sharon Oyedeji, who said she came from Irepodun Local Government of the state, said she has no confidence in the pledge by the party boss to ensure the conduct of a free, fair and credible primary election.
She said: “All we are clamouring for is a peaceful, free and fair primary election. Of what use is the delegate list from the ward, local government and state level?
“Of what use are they (delegates) that they will not be able to exercise their right? We, the concerned youths of Osun state, we decided to take it upon ourselves to bring ourselves down here to speak our mind because staying in our state can’t help us.”
She affirmed that as a product of a free and fair election, Secondus must ensure a free and fair PDP primary election in Osun state.
PDP Director of Organisation, Chief Adewale Fatona, who was the most senior party official at the secretariat during the time of the protest, dismissed their claim and admonished them to allow peace to reign.
