PDP to conduct fresh primaries in Ebonyi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it will conduct fresh primaries for governorship and legislative seats in Ebonyi State.

The party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, and National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, stated this in a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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In the letter, dated May 31, 2022, the PDP officials said the governorship, state and national assembly primaries conducted last week were cancelled because they violated the guidelines of the party.

The letter said: “The congresses were cancelled for violating the guidelines of the party as the committee that purportedly conducted them did not form the required quorum.

“The commission will be informed shortly of the new date for the congresses.”

Ebonyi State chapter of PDP had been enmeshed in a leadership crisis after Toochukwu Okorie was declared winner of the party’s state chairmanship election in 2021.

Barr Silas Onu challenged the outcome in court, and in April the Federal High Court in Abuja sacked Okorie and ordered that Onu be sworn in.

But Okorie appealed the ruling and the appellate court ordered that the party should return to status quo.

Despite the appeal court ruling, Onu continued to lay claim to the chairmanship, and last Sunday, he went ahead to conduct the primaries which produced Chukwuma Ọdịi as the party’s governorship candidate, with most of the aspirants boycotting the exercise.