PDP Factions Holding Parallel Primaries in Awka to Choose Gov Candidate

By Chuks Okocha and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is currently holding two primary elections simultaneously to elect a candidate to fly the party’s flag in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.

While a faction of the party is currently accrediting delegates at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre, another faction is also holding same exercise at the Paul University playground in Awka.

THISDAY gathered that while the event at Prof Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre is a faction of the party formerly led by Mr Ndubuisi Nwobu before its Executive was disbanded, the one at Paul University is led by Chukwudi Umeaba and loyal to self-styled godfather of the state’s politics, Chief Chris Uba.

Meanwhile, THISDAY can authoritatively report that almost all the party’s aspirants are at Prof. Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre for the primary election, the Umeaba faction has also massively mobilized party members, but the faction was yet to receive any aspirants.

Umeaba in a discussion with our correspondent at the venue said: “We will start soon, we’re waiting for our aspirants to arrive. Quite a number of them will be here soon”

A source in the party who didn’t want his name in print said some members of the party were already preparing grounds that will enable them go to court to contest the election of a candidate from any faction not favourable to them.

“Most of the aspirants you see in the other faction also belong to this faction. Some of the aspirants are waiting to pick the ticket of one faction, and when they can’t, they will still come here. This disunity is not good for our party.”