A factional Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State, on Sunday, elected its governorship candidate, defying the PDP’s National Working Committee directive that all primaries should be canceled in the state till further notice.
This is as four governorship aspirants boycotted the governorship primary election of the PDP group in the state, alleging irregularities in the process.
The NWC cancellation of all primaries in the state was announced in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, earlier on Sunday.
Ologunagba said the cancellation followed extensive deliberations by the NWC of the party. He said the party would announce a new date for the primary.
The statement read, “After very extensive consultations, deliberations and review of all issues, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved the cancelation of all Party primaries in Ebonyi State.
“To this effect, all State House of Assembly, National Assembly and Governorship primaries of our Party in Ebonyi State are hereby canceled. The NWC will announce new dates for the affected Party exercises in the State.
“The PDP charges all aspirants, critical stakeholders, leaders and members of our great Party in Ebonyi State to remain calm, united and focused as the PDP takes firm steps to rescue our nation from the misrule of the rudderless, corrupt and incompetent All Progressives Congress.
But the Ebonyi factional Chairman of the party, Silas Onu, in a statement said the primaries were not cancelled, alleging that the NWC did not sit and decide on the cancellation.
He accused the National Publicity Secretary and National Secretary of the party of masterminding the statement without authorisation from the NWC.
“The NWC has issued a circular for the election and only the NWC and the court can stop it and not a few individuals. “For the NWC to sit, a meeting must be called and then deliberations will hold before a decision is taken,” he said.
However, four major contestants in the factional governorship primaries election withdrew from the race after the election began, citing massive irregularities.
They aspirants include Sylvester Ogbaga; Chukwuma Nwazunku; Austine Nwazunku; and Emmanuel Eze.
While Ogbaga described the exercise as a charade, AustineNwazunku called it shameful. Emmanuel Eze accused the State Chairman of pandering to the whims of a particular contestant.
He alleged that the primaries were held without any delegates list and without the presence of an election committee from Abuja.
Eze and Ogbaga alleged that the delegates from their respective zones were not allowed into the venue.
Nwazunku described the atmosphere at the state party secretariat, venue of the exercise as a marketplace not fit for any serious business like a party election.