The political family of Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has moved to lobby members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to accept its list of three-man adhoc delegates for the primaries starting next week.
There has been controversy over the three-man adhoc delegates congresses in Abia, with chieftains of PDP in the state alleging that the list submitted by the state’s chapter was drawn up without elections.
In a bid to get its list of three-man adhoc delegates accepted, the political family of Governor Ikpeazu has set up a lobby team to meet with PDP NWC members and get their understanding.
Sources revealed that Prof Uchenna Ikonne, a member of the lobby team and the preferred aspirant of Gov Ikpeazu in the governorship race, wants to meet with PDP Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, this weekend, in a bid to convince him to ignore complaints and accept the controversial list.
Also, other members of the lobby team are aiming to meet with the National Secretary, National Administrative Secretary, the National Legal Adviser and South East Zonal Chairman, among others, with the view to lobbying them to support acceptance of the list.
It was gathered that the lobbying strategy by the Ikpeazu camp came about following indication that the PDP NWC is not favourably disposed to accepting the list.
Sources revealed that based on the avalanche of petitions coming from such people as former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara; ex-chairman of the Niger Delta Commission (NDDC), Chief Onyema Ugochukwu and former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Eme Okoro, the PDP NWC may okay the use of statutory delegates for Abia primaries.
It was gathered that the NWC does not want a situation where the court will nullify primaries conducted with the disputed three-man adhoc delegates and therefore prefers the use of statutory delegates instead, just like it did in the last PDP primary in Anambra State, for the governorship election. Tension has been high in Abia following Governor Ikpeazu’s attempt to breach the zoning arrangement in Abia by supporting a preferred aspirant from Isiala Ngwa, instead of allowing Abia North to pick the governorship ticket.
Stakeholders in Abia North have said it is their turn to produce the next governor, a position supported by former governor of the state and senator representing Abia Central, Theodore Orji, Wabara, Ugochukwu and other topshots of the PDP in the state. Governor Ikpeazu has ignored all opposition, pressing ahead to get Prof Ikonne pick the governorship ticket.