The three-man ad hoc delegates for the Primary Elections of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi state said they have resolved not to be part of the rescheduled June 4 and 5 primaries of the party in the state.
The delegates in a press conference in Abakaliki on Sunday, decried the ongoing repeat primary elections, noting that they would not be part of it or participate in the exercise.
Recall that the party had on May 28 and 29 elected candidates for the various positions to fly their flag in Ebonyi State come 2023 general elections.
The positions elected include: the state House of Assembly, House of Representatives, the Senate and the gubernatorial seats.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on April 13 sacked Mr. Tochukwu Okorie, as Ebonyi PDP chairman, and declared Mr. Silas Onu, as Chairman of PDP Ebonyi State chapter under whose leadership the May 28 and 29 primaries were conducted.
Meanwhile, after the primaries, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) annonced the cancellation of the exercise, and rescheduled the exercise for June 4 and 5 in the state.
One of the delegate, Mr. Okorie-Chukwumaobi Okorie. described the repeat primaries as “unconstitutional” and added that he would not be part of the rescheduled primary elections.
Okorie said that the primary elections of May 28 and 29 were acceptable by the candidates and warned against those impersonating their names in the fresh primaries.
“The already conducted primary elections were done and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in accordance with the PDP rules and guidelines.
“The three-man ad hoc delegates from the 171 wards of Ebonyi have elected the candidates of our choice on May 28 and 29. And as such, we are not part of any repeat primaries of June 4 and we are not going to be part of the june 5 exercise,” he said.
Okorie further emphasized on the danger of conducting double primaries in Ebonyi State and called on the PDP NEC to save the party from a looming danger of not producing candidates for 2023 general elections in Ebonyi State.
Mr. Daniel Onuoha, another delegate added that the primary elections conducted on May 28 and 29 were witnessed by INEC, security agencies and the media and stated that he would not go for any repeat primaries.
“The already conducted primary was desribed as the most credible, transparent and free and fair one in the recent time. No breach of electoral and party guidelines and no rancour among members of the party.
“It was very surprising, to hear that NWC have canceled and rescheduled another party primaries. We cannot be part of any repeat elections.
“I will not allow those impersonating with my name to go unpunished. We have elected the candidates of our choices on May 28 and 29.
“If an election was conducted and you feel that you are not satisfied, the simple thing to do is to approach the court,” Onuoha explained.
Mrs. Regina Iteshi, a delegate said she would sue anybody impersonating with her name in the rescheduled fresh primaries in the state.
