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PDP Primary: Sam Ohuabunwa lost to undemocratic delegates system – Prof. Nwala, ADF president
Prof. Uzodinma Nwala, president of the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), has decried the outcome of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary, noting that Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, a renowned pharmacist who had participated in the primary, lost to what he described as the undemocratic delegates system.
The PDP presidential primary held on Many 28 and 29, produced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former vice president as candidate, while Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers State came second.
Speaking in a address on the occasion of the ADF reception for Mazi Ohuabunwa, chairman of the foundation’s Business and Investment Committee on Friday, Prof. Nwala expressed total lack of confidence in the country’s current democratic system, which he insisted was unworkable.
According to Nwala, Mazi Ohuabunwa is one of the most qualified Nigerians, but was rigged out by the system.
He said, “Right from the beginning of the current electoral process, even before and in fact until tomorrow, the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) never hides her lack of faith in the highly monetized and corrupt electoral system in Nigeria.
“What Sam has undergone is a brutal experience with the Nigerian electoral system which ADF has consistently referred to as the game only vampires can play.
“Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa has been with us for several years and we know him as one of the most priceless candidates of any political party in the Nigerian political system. He and people like Mr Peter Obi, are a few of the gems in the Nigerian political history. They remind us of the late Mallam Aminu Kano, General Shehu Yaraudua, and several other nationalists who have been sounding echoes urging us to abandon the old unpatriotic order of greed self-centeredness if we must develop the needed spirit of harmonious togetherness and progress.”
Prof. Nwala dismissed the country’s political leadership as being undemocratic and selfish, noting that they are the biggest threat to national cohesion.
He said, “The greatest threat to national cohesion and peace in Nigeria today is the political leadership that is selfish and unpatriotic. In addition and in particular, the undemocratic mode of selection of political leaders in our party primaries is the greatest threat to national cohesion and unity.
“Indeed, the mode of selection of party candidates during elections is highly monetized. This is why leadership selection in Nigeria favors the highest bidder and often this is certainly the men who have stolen most from the National Treasury.
“Nigeria must return to the democratic mode of selection of candidates for election through popular elections in which candidates are chosen by the entire people in popular and highly competitive electoral process. Hence, if any party is to present any one as its candidate for an election, that Party must subject each aspirant to the popular choice in which all party members vote for the candidates.
“This is the system which all democratic countries adopt. And it is a method which ensures that the right candidates are selected.
“The failure to abide by the zoning arrangement which in modern times patriotic leaders have designed as an equitable and just mode of representation and selection of leaders is indeed a threat to national stability,
“ADF calls on all patriots who wish the Nigerian Federation well to jettison the highly monetized system of delegates’ selection as well respect the principles of zoning and rotation of political offices to ensure that no part of the country is neglected in the choice of political leadership for the country.
“ADF is of the view that Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa lost in the UNDOMOCRATIC DELEGATES MODE OF SELECTION IN THE NIGERIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM, and that the MASSES OF NIGERIA HAD NO HAND IN WHAT HAPPENED AT THE NATIONAL STADIUM on May 28, 2022. In other words, ADF is convinced that in a popular democratic process for choosing candidates for the post of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa will undoubtedly score even higher than those that were selected by monetized process of delegates selection.
“It is in the light of this that the ALAIGBO DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (ADF) has decided to organize this reception for Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, one of her leaders in the struggle to rebuild the Nigerian Federation as a home in which the various.
“ADF urges Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa to keep his head high and not to abandon the suffering masses. They still need people like him in their struggle for a more democratic and equitable Republic.”
