Delta PDP Chair, Esiso, Assembly Lawmaker In Alleged Bribery Scandal

The chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) in Delta State, Olorogun Kingsley Esiso has been allegedly fingered in a bribery scandal involving member representing Aniocha North constituency in the Delta state house of Assembly, Emeka Nwobi who was reportedly accused of bribing the State Executive of the party and others to influence the party local government primaries to favour his candidate.

BigPen Online was told that Nwobi allegedly bribed the leadership of the party in his local government and state Executive led by Esiso with the sum of N5.1 million to install his candidate, who is alleged be an All Progressive Congress (APC) member as the councillorship candidate for ward 8 in the forthcoming January 6 council election.

Nwobi’s candidate for the election, one Ekene Nwaonye was the minority leader of the immediate past legislative arm of Aniocha North, Supervisory Councilor in the council area, Christopher Okafor said in a petition made available to BigPen Online on Wednesday.

The petitioner alleged: “Nwobi gave the Ward chairman, Victor Egbune, the sum of N100, 000 and N5 million to the PDP State executives to allow his candidate to be the councillorship flag bearer of the party against me.

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Signed by Okafor’s counsel, S.N Nwalokor, and addressed to the Chairman, Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC), Mike Ogbodu, the petitioner alleged that the said Nwaonye was brought into the race from the back door.

“Our client is a faithful and law abiding member of PDP, supervisory councilor in Aniocha North local government area of Delta State. He contributed to the building and growth of the PDP in the local government through regular attendance of party meetings, campaigning and voting for the party in all elections that has made the party a winning brand in the area.

“Our client has shown interest to participate in the coming local government councillorship election by putting all political campaign machinery on ground to ensure his victory in the coming local government election. Our client has in this regards consulted widely by reaching out to all well-meaning members of the PDP leaders, youth and women to ensure his victory through a democratic selection by the party.

“Our client was amazed upon the aforesaid preparation and foundation in place to secure the councillorship candidate of his party that one Ekene Nwaonye, a member of APC and Minority Leader in the Aniocha North legislative councilor was projected through the back doors by some unscrupulous and so-called leaders in the local government area to emerge as the PDP candidate of Ward 8 Aniocha North LGA.

“This unlawful decision to make Ekene an APC member to fly the flag of PDP in the coming local government election has thrust up avalanche of reactions from well-meaning members of public including the Aniocha North local government legislature, ACP Ward 7 chapter of Aniocha North LGA Office of the leader of Aniocha North local government and finally The report of the screening committee for Councillorship Aspirant in Ward 8.

“These aforementioned reaction to the purported PDP Candidature of Nwaonye are all in an accord to confirm the fact that Ekene Nwaonye is not a PDP member but a card carrying member of APC. We hereby attach to this petition all those aforementioned documents for your perusal and necessary action.

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“Sir, it is our passionate appeal that Ekene Nwaonye be disqualify as a PDP councillorship candidate of Ward 8 in Aniocha North LGA in the interest of justice, fair play and best democratic practices”. 

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