Victor Ezeja
Following the controversy that trailed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward congress to elect three-man delegates in Anambra State, secretary of the panel Engr Ogbonna Victor Okorie has tendered his resignation.
This was revealed in a letter signed by the Engr Okorie dated May 1, 2022.
It would be recalled that a handwritten letter signed by the panel chairman, Jibrin Ahmed, and Secretary, Okorie on Sunday, May 1, 2022, announced cancellation of the ward congress exercise on the ground that election result sheets were not available.
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Video showing the Panel Chairman Jibrin announce cancellation of the exercise.
The election was scheduled to hold on Saturday, 30 April, 2022 and later rescheduled for Sunday May 1, 2022.
After the cancellation announcement was made, another letter dated same May 1, 2022, purported to have been signed by the five members of the panel including the chairman and secretary, claimed that they were compelled by some members of the PDP who stormed the state party secretariat to cancel the exercise.
The said letter further claimed that after the panel members were rescued by officers of the DSS, they proceeded to a hotel which served as collation centre, and concluded the exercise and therefore declared that the delegate election was successfully conducted.
Engr. Okorie, however, in his letter addressed to the PDP National Chairman, and copied to the party national secretariat, Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Commissioner of Police, Director of Department of State Services (DSS) and Commandant Civil Defence Corps in the state, distanced himself from the letter which claimed the election was held.
Okorie who said he was resigning his membership of the panel because his signature was forged in the said letter as he never signed any such letter, maintained that the no such election held in the state.
He said the only letter he signed was the one announcing cancellation of the exercise.
The letters reads in part, “I wish to resign my membership and secretary of the three-man delegate panel for Anambra State chaired by MR. JIBRIN AHMED. My resignation is based on a purported report being circulated on the Internet where they forged my signature on a fake report claiming that 3-man delegates election was held in the state.
“The said signature is absolutely not from my humble self, thereby a forgery.The letter in question, saying that there was an ad-hoc delegates election in Anambra State, is falsehood and deceit which my conscience will not allow me get involved in such criminality and fraud, as there was no such ad-hoc delegates election in Anambra State on 30 April, 2022 and 1st May, 2022.
“The only letter I signed was the one saying there was no election and that the election has been cancelled at the party secretariat in Awka and materials handed over to the PDP administrative secretary in Awka alongside the photocopies of results sheets for the election. I never wrote nor signed any other documents.
Okorie thanked the PDP National Working Committee for finding him worthy to serve in the panel as secretary, and noted that his resignation took effect from Sunday 1 May 2022.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
