A former gubernatorial hopeful of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu state, Chijioke Edeoga, is set to choose the gubernatorial ticket of the Labor Party (LP) in the state for the 2023 election.
Mr. Edeoga defected to the LP and was adopted as the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the state during a party’s state executive meeting on Saturday, PREMIUM TIMES reliably reported.
Although the party’s state chairman, Casmir Agbo, had previously been chosen as the party’s gubernatorial standard-bearer in the state, he is said to have expressed his intention to stand down for Edeoga.
When contacted, Mr. Agbo confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday night.
He also confirmed that he would “withdraw later” from the race to make way for Edeoga, who he said had been designated the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the state.
“Yes. He has joined the Labor Party, but his candidacy for governor will have to be formalized, he said. “On the day it is formalized, there will be primary elections in accordance with the Electoral Law.”
The state president said the date for the party’s gubernatorial primary would be announced soon.
Edeoga did not return calls or a text message seeking comment.
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However, reports in local media suggested that the former commissioner has confirmed his emergence as a candidate for the governorship of the LP 2023.
“Yes. It’s true. I am now the Labor Party’s candidate for governor,” Edeoga said.
Background
Mr. Edeoga participated in the PDP gubernatorial primary, but lost the exercise after taking 9 votes to come second behind the eventual winner, Peter Mbah, who garnered 790 votes.
The former commissioner was said to have been previously chosen by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as his successor.
But, PREMIUM TIMES reported how the governor made a last-minute decision to choose Mr. Mbah as his successor, just 24 hours before the PDP gubernatorial election.
Many believe that the governor’s decision resulted in Mr. Edeoga failing to win the nomination despite coming from the Isi-Uzo Council Area, which is in Enugu East District, where the party had zoned his candidacy. to the governorship.
Mr. Edeoga has been campaigning for a change of power to the council area on the grounds that the area has long been shortchanged in the state power-sharing formula.
The turmoil had led to the hashtag “Ka Isi Uzo Jee,” which means rule by Isi-Uzo. It was trending for days on social media before the PDP primary.
The former PDP member was said to be aggrieved by the governor’s alleged role in his failure to win the gubernatorial primary.