THERE is confusion in the national
headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party over the list of the
winners of the party’s recently conducted primaries across the country.
While the outcome of the primaries have
seen different aspirants claiming victory in the same election, others
said there were no such exercises in their states
For example, a former National Chairman
of the party, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, is claiming victory over the
outcome of the primary in the Enugu North Senatorial District.
His claim was however contrary to the
results submitted by the electoral panel led by Senator Anthony Manzo,
which declared Chukwuka Utazi as the candidate.
At the Manzo- supervised election, which
was held at the Government Field, Nsukka, Utazi polled 324 votes, to
beat Nwodo who scored four votes. Dr. Martin Oke scored three votes.
But at another primary, Nwodo was pronounced the winner of the primary.
The situation is even more worrisome in
Anambra State, where in Anambra South, Senator Andy Ubah and his
brother, Chief Chris Ubah, are claiming victory in their respective
primaries.
Also in Anambra North, a former Minister
of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, and a former Minister of Water and
Transport, John Emeka, said they won the primaries.
In Anambra Central, a member of the
House of Representatives, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, claimed victory while in
the same zone, Senator Annie Okonkwo, said he had been declared winner
in another primary .
Other aspirants such as Senator Margery
Okadigbo, who is representing Anambra North in the Senate at present;
Dr. Obiora Okonkwo and Joy Emodi are alleged to be laying claims to
victory .
Also in Enugu State, Senator Ayogu Eze
has insisted that he remains the only governorship candidate of the
party validly elected during last Monday’s primary in Enugu State.
But Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was announced as the winner at a parallel primary in the state.
Eze dismissed claims that two parallel
primaries were held, saying ‘’there was only one primary at which the
genuine delegates, elected on November 1, 2014, voted for me out of
their free will.’’
The confusion over the directive from
the members of the PDP National Working Committee that its Ogun State
chapter must not conduct last Monday’s governorship primary is still
vibrating.
The National Publicity Secretary of the
party, Chief Olisa Metuh, told our correspondent that stakeholders of
the party said that they did not get the directive on time.
He said this was the reason they gave when they (the stakeholders) came to make presentations to the NWC members.
The directive, which was sent to the
Ogun State chapter of the party by the NWC and signed by Metuh said,
“For the avoidance of doubt, the NWC hereby states that it did not
authorise any governorship primary in Ogun State.
“Consequently, any such exercise held in
Ogun State is hereby declared null and void and of no effect. A new
date will be communicated for the primary.”
Instead of obeying the directive, the
party in the state went ahead with the primary and elected Gboyega
Isiaka as the governorship candidate.
The action has however been rejected by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole.
Bankole, one of the governorship aspirants in the party, insisted that he is still in the race.
Metuh, who spoke with our correspondent
on the crisis and multiple claims by aspirants, said, “Members of our
Ogun State chapter of our party have made representations to us. They
said that they didn’t get our directive on time and that they only got
it through the media after the excercise had been concluded.
“We are looking at the issue, but I can tell you that we will release the list of the winners of all the primaries this week.”
Asked whether the party has made its mind on Ogun State, he said he would not want to make any categorical statement on it yet.
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