A FORMER Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, has expressed concerns on the role of academics in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Chidoka, who is a member of the electoral sub-committee for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2022 convention, has accused an academic, Professor Kingsley Chimsorom Chilaka of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, of schemimg him out as a national delegate of the party.
The former Corps Marshal said that he would be watching the PDP convention from his house, for the first time in many years.
As he alleged, “On May 10th, a National Delegate Congress Committee chaired by Prof. Kingsley Chimsorom Chilaka of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University went to Anambra to conduct the congress, but did not conduct any congress in Idemili North LGA, where I had bought form to contest as a national delegate.
“Strangely, the committee submitted a report and a fake result for Idemili North LGA with the name of someone that did not purchase the form for the congress.”
Chidoka said INEC’s report on the matter stated its officials did not observe any election in Idemili North LGA as they were at the venue till 7pm. He added he submitted a petition to the party with a certified copy of the INEC report, and then requested the party to reschedule and conduct the congress in line with the party’s rules and Electoral Act.
“I waited till yesterday Friday 27th May for the party NWC to sit on the petition, to no avail. Instead, the party went ahead and published the name from the fake result as the National Delegate.
“As a loyal party member who have remained a dedicated and prominent voice of the party since the party went into opposition, I have elected to stay away from the convention and will not pursue a legal redress against the party that I have given so much at grave personal risk and cost,” he said.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.