PDP candidates to boycott conduct of fresh primary elections in Ebonyi

Candidates for the positions of House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, and Governor on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ebonyi State, Friday, emphasized that they will boycott any conduct of fresh primary elections approved by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Party in the State.

Recall that the Party had on the 28th and 29th of May, 2022, conducted its primary election at the Headquarters of PDP, along Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway.

Speaking on behalf of other candidates in Abakaliki, former House of Representatives member and a Senatorial candidate for Ebonyi central zone, Hon. Lazarus Ogbe added that the conduct of any fresh primaries was an invitation to the crisis in the State.

According to him, the delegates that voted for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, and Governor candidates were legitimately elected across the 171 wards of the state adding that the primaries were conducted in the presence of INEC, security agents, and Party faithful.

He said: “Candidates were nominated on 28 and 29 to fly the flag of the party ranging from House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Governor. I want to recall that NWC scheduled the primary in Ebonyi on the 28th and 29th of May. It is on a note that because of the little crisis in the party, there was no primary election in Ebonyi State when other states nominated their representatives.

“Three man delegates were elected in the 172 wards of the state. The delegates are in turn expected to vote for candidates of their choice and this they did from the 28th and 29th of May, 2022.

“The State Chairman conducted the Primaries that were monitored by INEC, security agencies, the DSS, and journalists. The election was certified as the most transparent in the history of the party in the state.

“Today, we started hearing rumors that the same NWC has reversed themselves and directed that the same primary election be conducted on the same position. There was no reason or breach of the party guidelines that another set of primary be conducted in the state.

“It is on this note that we want to appeal to the party to allow peace to reign in the state. I have never seen where two persons are contesting for the same position in the same party. We do not want to experience what transpired in Zamfara and Rivers states on the side of APC.

“We want the NWC to intervene in the matter and allow those they have nominated in their votes to stand in Ebonyi State PDP. All the delegates were picked from the 171 wards of the state. INEC has the list of delegates nominated in the 171 wards. We appealed that if there is any interest playing out, the appeal should be played down in the interest of the party.

“The guber primary was conducted in the open. The house of assembly primary was also conducted in the open and all other primaries were conducted in the open. From that day the primary election was conducted, we have not heard of any infractions. We so much appeal to them to allow peace in Ebonyi State and prepare for the general election”, Ogbe appealed.