Ebonyi PDP in disarray as faction withdraws from rescheduled primaries

Aspirants from the factional group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who were elected in the party’s primary elections on May 28 and 29 from Mr Silas Onu’s side, have stated that they will not participate in any new primaries in Ebonyi.

The group stated their position at a press conference in Abakaliki on Thursday.

As a result, they have called on the party’s relevant organs, including the National Executive Committee (NEC), National Working Committee (NWC), and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the party’s Presidential flagbearer, to intervene to save the party from impending catastrophe.

Mr. Lazarus Ogbe, the group’s spokesperson and a senatorial candidate for Ebonyi Central, stated that participating in any rescheduled party primary in Ebonyi would encourage criminality and unconstitutionality.

According to him, political parties are not authorized to field two candidates for a single elective seat in a single constituency under the legislation.

The PDP faction further noted that the primary elections in Ebonyi, which produced candidates for the state House of Assembly, House of Representatives, senatorial, and governorship seats, complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act and party primary guidelines.

The primary elections, he added, were credible, transparent, free, and fair, and that they remained authentic because they were watched and observed by competent institutions, such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security services, and the media.

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The faction, which promised to boycott any future rescheduled party primaries, claimed that participating would be illegal.

“If you see your brother or leader breaking the law will you join him to break the law too?

”After the primaries, those that were nominated went to court about it; so, we cannot deliberately join people that are poised to break the law to break the law equally.

“So, if they have sent another letter for the reconduct of the primary elections; well, we have done the elections as they directed.

“May be they have some other positions they want to conduct elections for. But, for the positions of House of assembly, House of representatives, Senatorial and governorship, we have conducted in Ebonyi obeying all the party rules, guidelines and constitution.

“I don’t think that we will go back to what we have done. We are even preparing for our certificates of return so that we can go out there and start campaigning for the main election,” the group said.

The primaries conducted by Onu on May 28 and 29 were boycotted by aspirants loyal to Mr Tochukwu Okorie, the other factional chairman.

In an election watched and observed by INEC and security agencies including the police, Chief Ifeanyochukwu Odii, who ran against several other governorship aspirants, was elected and returned as the PDP’s candidate.

The May 28 and 29 congresses, however, were cancelled by a letter dated May 31 and written to the INEC Chairman, Iyiorcha Ayu and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, PDP National Chairman and Secretary, respectively.

Fresh primaries are to be held on June 4 and 5 to elect the party’s candidates for the 2023 general elections, according to the letter.

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