Ejikeme Uwa–UMUAHIA
With the rescheduled PDP primaries for elective positions stated to commence from 21st May 2022, Abia PDP who are in a mess already as a result of the zoning formula adopted by the party in the state, are now in a deeper mess, as INEC, has confirmed that Abia state chapter of PDP is yet to hold their 3-MAN Ad-hoc ward delegate Elections as directed by PDP National headquarters
INEC position is contained in a letter written to the PDP headquarters in Abuja and sighted by our reporter in Umuahia yesterday evening.
INEC position came, in response to an inquiry made by Dioka Stan and co solicitor/partner.
In a letter signed by Rose Oriara Anthony, the Commission secretary, confirmed that Abia PDP has not conducted its 3-Man ad-hoc delegate Congress, contrary to claims by a section of the party in the state that it held its ward Congress on May 6th 2022.
This response from INEC has put to rest the speculations about whether or not the 3-Man ward delegates’ Elections were held in Abia state.
The Commission letter said”please refer to your letter dated 11th May 2022, requesting confirmation, if the Commission is in receipt of a letter from the people’s Democratic party PDP National chairman and National secretary that rescheduled the party’s Abia state ward Congresses that failed to hold on the 4th of May 2022.
This is to confirm that the last notice received from the PDP National headquarters was the one that scheduled the Abia state ward Congresses for 4th May 2022″
It will be recalled that the 3-Man ad-hoc delegates Elections were meant to hold in the 17 local government Areas of the state in preparation for the main primaries.
The primaries however did not hold as INEC cited public holidays as reasons for postponing the Elections
The election which was shifted to a later date did not hold as some aggrieved members of the party were alleged to have gotten a court injunction to stop the election from holding.
In a related development 8 Abia PDP Governorship Aspirants, one member of the federal House of Representative, Hon. Abonta and Barr David Iroh Abia PDP state secretary has petitioned the National headquarters of PDP today Wednesday 18th,2022.
Some of the Governorship Aspirants that signed the petition include Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu, the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Senator Enyinnaya Abribe, the Senate Minority Leader, Mr Ncheta Omerepke, Senator Emma Nwaka, Engineer Enyinnaya Nwafor, Hon. Sampson Orji and Dr. Chima Anyaso
In their petition, they called on the National leadership of the party to take necessary steps to avoid what it says are desperate attempts to impose candidates at all levels.
The petition titled”Abia state PDP: Time to avoid self-destruction “reads in part,” it is no longer news that the people’s Democratic party PDP, Abia state chapter has been grappling with self-inflicted problems that could lead to a major destructive
Imposition, at the centre of the vexed issues, is the obvious manipulation by a tiny segment of the state Executive committee of the party to yield to plots at subverting the democratic process, which is geared towards achieving a predetermined goal of imposition at all levels.
“We are here to alert the National headquarters of the party PDP and the Nigerian public of this ugly development, which if not stopped could spell doom for the party ahead of the 2023 general Elections not only in Abia state but in the south East as a whole”.
It will equally be recalled that the state secretary of Abia state PDP Barr David Iroh was suspended from the party for stating that the 3-man ad-hoc delegate ward Congresses has not taken place anywhere in the state.
Political watchers in the state are of the view that if Abia state PDP failed to put their house in order, what happened in zamfara and Anambra state APC may happen to them as supreme Court ruled that primaries they conducted are null and void as they did not follow party Constitution and regulations to elect their party flag bearers in the last concluded Elections by INEC.