The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) youths of Wuse ward in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) yesterday protested the alleged imposition of a councillorship candidate, Mr. Tonye Sebastine, as the party’s candidate for Wuse ward during the councillorship primaries in the area.
The youths numbering over 50 stormed the FCT secretariat of the PDP at about 11:45 am carrying placards bearing various inscriptions, some of which read, “The good people of Wuse ward need justice not imposition”’ “We need proper congress not imposition.”
Abubakar Umar who spoke on behalf of the protesters said instead of the electoral committee of the party to allow delegates to elect their choice of councillorship, some stake-holders allegedly held a secret meeting and later presented a candidate who was not the people’s choice.
According to him, the PDP youths had earlier written a petition to the FCT party office immediately after the councillorship congress to protest the emergence of Tonye as councillorship candidate representing Wuse ward.
“Our problem is the way and manner in which the councillorship primary of Wuse ward was conducted; it is improper and we will not accept it because we see no reason why some stake-holders will go in to a room and later come back to present us a candidate, which is un-acceptable,” he said.
The PDP youths appealed to the state chairman of the party, Alhaji Yahaya Suleiman, the Senator representing the FCT, Philip Aduda, party executive and stake-holders to urgently intervene, saying Wuse is one of the largest wards in the FCT with over 79,000 registered voters.
Responding, the Special Assistant to the party chairman, Alhaji Salihu Bagudu, who received the protesting youths on behalf of the chairman, commended the youths for conducting themselves peacefully throughout the protest without any rancour.
He noted that any society where there is peace, there must always be progress and development which he said is one of the cardinal objectives of President Goodluck Jonathan and the FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohamamed, who preaches peace and harmony.
The PDP chairman assured the protesters that all their grievances will be looked into, by party stakeholders to ensure that the issue is resolved amicably.