By Festus Ahon

Stakeholders of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State have warned against imposition of chairmanship candidates on the people in the January 6, 2018 local government council election, urging the state deputy governor, Mr Kingsley Otuaro, to respect the popular will of party leaders in the local council.

They said the chairmanship position has been zoned to the Itsekiri ethnic nationality in the council in line with the zoning arrangement, with the Ijaws having produced the candidate for the position in the last six years culminating into two tenures and vowed to do anything within the ambit of the law to protect their franchise.

The leaders said in a statement, signed by the PDP chairmen in the six Itsekiri wards in the council area, including Ikpotor Aboyowa, Rawlings Jakpa, Austin Kpogho, Austin Iyinbor and Oshoff Ollueh, said: “Now that it is the turn of the Itskiri to produce the council Chairman, the deputy governor (Ijaw man) should allow the major stakeholders in Itsekiri nation to make their choice.”