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The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has denied monitoring any 3 man delegate congress in Abia state.
The PDP in Abia state has been embroiled in claims and counter claims over the conduct of the 3 man delegate congress in the state.
Majority of the stakeholders of the party insisted that no 3 man congress was conducted in the state while the chairman of the party, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and the state chairman, Chief Asiforo Okere, said the congress held in the state.
On May 6th, a video showing Governor Ikpeazu participating in the 3 man delegate congress at his Ward 7, Alaukwu Ohanze, Obingwa LGA, went viral,even as no INEC or PDP committee was sighted at the venue.
Stakeholders of the party; pioneer NDDC Chairman,Chief Onyema Ugochukwu; ex senate president , Senator Adolphus Wabara, ex Abia SSG, Dr.Eme Okoro and governorship aspirants , Deputy Governor , Sir Ude Oko Chukwu; senate minority leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; Engr. Enyinnaya Nwafor, Chief Ncheta Omerekpe, have also stated that no 3 man delegate election was held in the state.
In a response to an inquiry by Dioka Stan & Co solicitors, Abuja, INEC explained that it received no invitation from the PDP National Chairman and National Secretary inviting the Commission to monitor the 3 man delegate election in Abia state after it failed to hold on the last scheduled date, May 4.
The letter signed by Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, also confirmed that no delegate congress was held after it failed to hold on May 4.
“Please refer to your letter dated 11th May,2022 requesting confirmation if the commission is in receipt of a letter from the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) National Chairman and National Secretary that rescheduled the party’s Abia State Ward congress that failed to hold on the 4th of May, 2022.
“This is to confirm that the last notice received from the PDP national headquarters was the one that rescheduled the Abia state ward congresses for 4th May, 2022.”
The letter from INEC has enlivened the camps of the governorship aspirants opposed to the Governor. The opposing governorship aspirants have accused Ikpeazu of attempting to foist Prof. Uche Ikonne as the party’s governorship candidate.
An Abia Government source told Pointblanknews.com that Governor Ikpeazu is deeply worried over the letter from INEC confirming that the 3 man ward congress did not hold as he is not in control of the statutory delegates in the state.
He explained that the national leadership of the PDP may order the conduct the primaries with statutory delegates as there is no longer time to reschedule the 3 man delegate congress. The PDP primaries is slated to commence with the state Houses of Assembly on 21st May,2022.
“The letter from INEC has confirmed that no 3 man ward delegate congress held in Abia state. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is deeply worried by the letter. The PDP national headquarters will have to direct the conduct of the primaries with only the statutory delegates which may not likely favour the Governor’s anointed candidate,Prof. Uche Ikonne.”