The national president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu has told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the party had canceled all its congresses held in Ebony State.
Mr. Ayu, in a letter to INEC, dated May 31, 2022, explained that the congresses were canceled for violating PDP guidelines.
“This is to point out to you that the PDP National Work Committee (NWC) has canceled the congresses in Ebonyi state that were supposed to take place on May 28, 2022 for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate of the Condition”. said Mr Ayu.
“The party also canceled the congress of governors held on May 29, 2022.
The congresses were canceled for violating party guidelines since the committee that supposedly led them did not meet the required quorum,” said the national president.
He said that the party would inform the commission of the new date of the congresses.
National Party Secretary Samuel Anyanwu also signed the letter.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that a PDP faction in Ebonyi state chose Ifeanyichukwu Odii as their gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 general election during a controversial primary held on Sunday.
The exercise was carried out despite the position of the party’s national leadership that had previously been announced.
PDP national spokesman Debo Ologunagba said in a statement on Sunday that the decision was made after extensive consultation and deliberation by the party’s National Work Committee (NWC).
But in a counter-statement shortly afterward, the chairman of one party faction in the state, Silas Onu, denied that the party’s primary had been cancelled.
Onu accused the PDP spokesman of issuing the statement without authorization from the party’s NWC.
Another party faction in the state led by Tochukwu Okorie was said to have distanced itself from the exercise, citing the cancellation by the party’s national leadership.
Background
The PDP’s Ebonyi chapter has been embroiled in a leadership crisis of late. The crisis has thwarted efforts to hold three-man delegate elections in every district in the state.
The crisis has also split the party into factions, causing congresses in various districts and state council areas to be postponed about three times.
The postponements followed a myriad of court rulings that fired and reinstated leaders of party factions in the state.
Messrs Onu and Okorie have been locked in a battle for party control of the state, ahead of the 2023 general election.
SEE: Governor Yahaya Bello’s roadmap to Hope 2023