By Nwanosike Onu, Awka

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State held two parallel governorship primaries at two different locations in the State to elect the party’s guber candidate. One of the factions led by the Sir Chukwudi Umeaba led executive, elected Senator Ugochukwu Uba as the candidate of the party for the November 6 governorship election. The other faction as announced by the National Working Committee NWC, spearheaded by Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, had concluded accreditation at the time of filing this report. Announcing the result at Saint Paul University field in Awka, the Chairman of the electoral panel, Obidi Ebede, said 665 delegates were accredited with Uba scoring 275 votes. His closest rival, Godwin Ezeemo, scored 114 votes, while the 3rd position went to Senator Uche Ekwunife with 56 votes.

Four out of the aspirants were in attendance at the Paul University venue, and they were, Chief Ubaka Okeke, Mr Godwin Ezeemo, Dr Ugochukwu Uba and Chief Jonny Maduaforkwa. Also, the former member, Board of Trustees BoT of PDP, Chief Chris Uba and many other chieftains of the party were in attendance. However, the Governor Samuel Ortom-led gubernatorial Electoral Committee held another primary at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Center, which had stalwarts like former governor Peter Obi, Val Ozigbo, Senator Uche Ekwunife, Dr.Obiora Okonkwo, Hon. Chris Azubogu, Dr. Godwin Maduka, among others in attendance.

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Meanwhile, the deputy governor of Edo State and the Secretary of Anambra governorship primary Electoral Committee, Comrade Philip shaibu, had announced that three aspirants withdrew from the race. The aspirants according to him were, Emeka Etiaba, Dr. Tony Nwoye and one other. He said that the committee was determined to conduct free, fair and acceptable primary. “We had a little hitch at the beginning because we had to stop every aspirant at the gate and searched everybody. Interestingly, three aspirants stepped down and they also pledged loyalty to the party and whoever will emerge as winner in this primary because for them, they are determined to work with whoever that emerges today to reclaim Government House, Awka”, he said.

Explaining his decision to quit the race in a statement in Abuja, Nwoye said the decision of the National Working Committee of the PDP to deny the constitutionally elected delegates for the congress the right to participate is a slap on democracy. He said by quitting the contest, he was standing in solidarity with the members of the state, local government and ward executives as well as the 3 adhoc delegates who are supposed to participate in the primaries in accordance with the party constitution, but have been denied the opportunity to do so by the national leadership.

“The import is that the primary election as is being purported will only be by a paltry 5 – 6% percent of eligible voters. There can be no doubt that this runs against the grain of the basic tenets of participatory democracy of which I am an uncompromising proponent of. Owing to this development, I have consulted with my campaign team, teeming supporters – most of who are the bedrock of our party at the grassroots level where I belong, and my ever supportive family, and I have come to the inevitable conclusion that the process has been greatly flawed. I hereby withdraw from participation as an aspirant in the PDP Primary election of 26th June 2021. I salute the courage of my dependable team, my fans, teeming supporters and loving family. I enjoin them to understand this painful decision which I have no doubt is the right course of action at this time.”