Confusion In Anambra As PDP holds parallel primaries

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Assembly primaries was on Saturday held in Anambra State but not without the state party’s tradition of holding parallel primaries.

The primaries were held by three different factions at three different locations despite an Abuja High Court judgment stopping some factions of the party from laying claim to the leadership of the party in the state.
Notwithstanding the confusion created by the conduct of the primaries by three different factions, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said yesterday in Awka that it was satisfied with the exercise.
INEC, which said it monitored the exercise throughout the state, insisted that what its officials monitored was the PDP House of Assembly pri¬maries and not any faction, as its interest was the party and not any group or faction.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the com¬mission, Mr. Frank Egbo, the commission recognised and supervised only the Mr. Ejike Oguebego-led PDP Assembly primaries in the state, stressing that INEC was not aware of any other group holding primaries in the state that day.
However, based on the exercise monitored by INEC, which lasted till about 7p.m. on Saturday, some candidates emerged including two of the incumbent lawmakers; Rebecca Ugorji, Awka North constituency and the son of Eze-Ndigbo in Lagos, To¬kas Ohazuruike who emerged for Ihiala II constituency.
Others, who emerged can¬didates included Silas Eze (Orumba South), Mike Ikegbunam (Ayamelum), Kenneth Nwakaeze (Awka South I), Mrs. Violet Chuks-Okoye (Idemili South), Samuel Chukwugozie Enemchukwu (Ihiala I), Adora Akudiegwu (Njikoka II), Okwuchukwu Okeke (Aguata II), Okechuk¬wu Okeke (Orumba North), Humphrey Okoye (Onitsha South I) and Godwin Eneghalu (Nnewi North).
It was gathered that a team from the PDP National Secretariat conducted another primaries at Doris Hotel in a remote area of Awka while the Prince Ken Emeakayi-led group was said to have held theirs in a hall in Awka, allegedly because of the court judgment.
Reacting to the exercise yesterday, Oguebego said the party was satisfied with the outcome of the primaries, adding that the party was prepared for this week’s Na¬tional Assembly primaries on Saturday just as it was ready for the general elec¬tions next year.
Also reacting, a member of Emeakayi’s faction, who pleaded anonymity told newsmen yesterday that they were the only group on the field and whose primaries are legitimate.
He said: “We started very early and were in all the 30 constituencies. As early as 8 a.m. we were on and by 12noon we were through and I can tell you that our primaries are legitimate because the Federal High Court in Abuja has declared that whatever Mantu and his panel did was illegal and held that it is the three-man delegates by the Emeakayi leadership that were legitimate.”



The Sun