Ebonyi Ex-PDP Chair Emerges PDP Senatorial Candidate

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

Former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Silas Onu, has won the party’s ticket for forthcoming by-election in the state.

The election was held yesterday at the zonal party secretariat at Afikpo in Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state.

Declaring the result by the chairman of electoral panel, Mr. Lekan Rotimi, announced that Onu polled a total of 143 votes to defeat his only opponent, Senator Amah Nnachi, who scored zero vote.

“Chief Silas Onu, having complied with the relevant electoral law and the PDP primary election guideline and having won the majority of lawful votes, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected as the PDP candidate for the Ebonyi South senatorial district.

“A total of 144 delegates were accredited to vote in the election, with one invalid vote recorded,” he said.

He also dismissed allegations of parallel primary election in any part of the zone, saying his committee remained the only committee mandated by the national party secretariat to conduct the election in the zone.

According to him, “I’m not aware of any other congress going on anywhere. I have told you my name and my committee members, and we are the only people sent to conduct the election from Abuja.”

Meanwhile, Onu, in an acceptance speech, noted that PDP was intact in the state and ready to clinch the senatorial position.

He thanked the delegates and party members from the Ebonyi South senatorial zone for entrusting him with their mandate promising to deliver at the main election.

“We do not have a divided house; you see what happened here today, the election was held peacefully, sadly, one of the local government areas delegates didn’t participate even though every arrangement was made for all delegates to be here.

“We still thanked God. Delegates from the four local government areas out of five LGAs participated and God has favoured us.

“We have work to do, as we have less than three weeks to the election, and what we need to do is to put our house in order. We have no other option than to win this senatorial election, and together we will,” Onu said.