From Geoffrey
Anyanwu, Awka
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its national caretaker committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, have been called upon to cancel the governorship primary the party held in Anambra State last Monday or risk losing the forthcoming election.
A group within the party, the National Volunteer Front which made the call yesterday at a press briefing in Awka, warned that the failure to cancel the primary which produced Mr. Oseloka Obaze as the candidate of the party and conduct another one would bring woes to the party.
The leader of the group, Emmanuel Nwosu, said his group wants the party to conduct a fresh primary election to placate aggrieved aspirants and members of the party without which he said the party, alleging that the primary was not free and fair.
Nwosu said that the irregularities that marred the primary emanated from a flawed ward congress, which according to him, failed to elect the constitutional three-delegates per ward in over 90 percent of the 326 wards of the state.
He said: “We are saddened by the process that led to that primary election. We are also worried that the aspirants on the party’s platform withdrew in droves in protest, and the ones that participated in the election also saw the flawed process and complained bitterly. We want to state here as members of the party that their grievances are legitimate and we call on the national leadership to address this injustice and offer redress to their complaints. “On our own, we will engage the state caretaker committee to ensure that justice is done for everyone and if they fail to heed the advice, we will ensure that PDP is not made a laughing stock. But we hope that the national leadership will address the matter.”
Nwosu further warned that PDP would lose the governorship election if it goes into it with a divided house as some of its members might decide to work against the party to pay.
Prior to the party primary, four out of the seven aspirants, Dr. Akaolisa Ufodike, Prince John Emeka, Linda Ikpeazu and Senator Stella Oduah withdrew from the race, while Ifeanyi Ubah challenged the credibility of the election before the Governor Dave Umahi-led committee that conducted the primary.