National and State Assembly challengers on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra state have expressed concern over the inconclusive election of delegates in the state.
The hopefuls, who addressed reporters at the party’s secretariat in Awka on Wednesday, lamented that the committee in Anambra to carry out the election of the three-man ad hoc delegates was unable to complete the task.
Onyebuchi Offor, a House of Assembly candidate from Anambra, who read the statement signed by at least 70 concerned candidates, called on the PDP National Work Committee to intervene and save the party from electoral doom in the state.
According to him, the party cannot produce candidates in the 2023 general election.
They urged the party to hold the failed delegate election on or before May 5 or allow existing district and local government executives to hold the exercise.
“We note with pain and dismay the inability of the committee led by Jibrin Ahmed to conduct the three-man ad-hoc delegate election that was to be held on April 30, but was rescheduled for May 1 due to lack of of availability of the original result sheets.
“We passionately call on the national leadership of our great party, the PDP, to quickly repeat the failed exercise of Thursday, May 5, so as not to jeopardize our chances in the 2023 elections.
“Or in case of time constraints, existing district and LGA executives can go ahead to hold the primaries.
“The same committee for the rerun of the three-man Ad Hoc Congress could be mandated to hold national delegate elections the next day,” he said.
The candidates said they reaffirmed their resolution in a meeting with the panel made up of the national leadership of the party headed by Taofeek Arapaja in a meeting held on April 26 where they agreed that the Anambra congresses should be concluded.
They urged the party’s national leadership to do what is necessary in Anambra to allow the state leadership to run their campaigns in the upcoming general elections and for peace.
“We reaffirm our confidence in the leadership of our great party and we are confident in its ability to lead us to victory in the upcoming general election,” he said.
(YAYA)