Intrigues as PDP Holds Primary Today  

By David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will hold a primary election for seven aspirants in the Anambra State governorship election slated for November 18.

THISDAY gathered from a reliable source in the party that several forces have been working to highjack the process to favour their aspirants to clinch the ticket of the party.

Chairman of the primary election committee who is also the Governor  Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, was in Awka, the state capital last Saturday night with members of his committee, where he held a closed door meeting with the state caretaker committee headed by Prof ABC Nwosu and told members of the party after the meeting that the delegates list of the party was intact, and would not be tampered with by anyone to ensure transparency in the process.

The source revealed that several high powered meetings have been going on in several places with some camps within the party working to stop some others who the source said have been identified as being planted in the party by opposition parties.

According to the source, “The most powerful is a group within the party that is believed to be working for the Anambra State Government in the hope of planting a weak candidate in the party to make it easy for PDP to lose.

“Their objective is to ensure that a weak candidate emerges the PDP candidate.  Their group has done everything including court action, and going to the media to malign the state caretaker committee and River State Governor, Nyesom Wike’s panel to stop the election.”

Recall that a group within the party, Fresh Congress Group (FCG),  had last Saturday accused some of the governorship aspirants of being agents of other political party who were being used to overheat the polity in the state.

Chairman of FCG, Pastor Emma Obiora, raised the alarm in a statement made available to THISDAY last Saturday.

Obiora said the PDP leadership in the state and national levels should immediately fish out those whose objective is to drag the party back at a time well-meaning members were determined to do everything humanly possible to move the party forward.

He said: “The PDP, having come out of a protracted battle, should show a lot of good judgment as it did in Osun State, which led to the successful election of Senator Adeleke if it hopes to make headway in the struggle for the Anambra State governorship poll.

“It is on record that some political vampires have invaded Anambra State PDP recently because of the electioneering time-table to choose a standard bearer for the party. Privileged information has it that some of the so-called wealthy political gladiators are being used to destabilise the PDP congresses and primaries in the state, which is most unfortunate.

“Some of them are known to have become agents of opponents of PDP in the state and are being used to overheat the polity and bent on presenting a weak PDP candidate for the governorship, just to weaken the chances of a more credible candidate.”

The party would hold its primary election for six of its aspirants, after one of them, Prof Akaolisa Ufodike, withdrew and pledged support for whoever emerges among the aspirants.

The aspirants are: Dr Alex Obiogbolu, Mr. Andy Ubah, Senator Stella Oduah, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, Princess Linda Ikpeazu and Prince John Emeka.

Three of the aspirants have however been identified as surrogates of other political parties working to thwart the process for the political gain of their sponsors.