2023: Delegates Boycott Rescheduled Ebonyi PDP Primaries, Accuse Participants As Impersonators

The three-man ad-hoc delegates for the primary elections of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi said they have resolved not to be part of the rescheduled June 4 and 5 primaries of the party in the state. 
The delegates in a press conference in Abakaliki on Sunday, condemned the ongoing repeat primary elections, noting that they would not be part of it nor participate in the exercise.

The party had on May 28 and 29 elected candidates for the various positions to fly its flag in the state ahead of the 2023 general elections.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on April 13 sacked Mr. Tochukwu Okorie as Ebonyi PDP chairman, and declared Mr. Silas Onu as Chairman of the state chapter of the PDP under whose leadership the May 28 and 29 primaries were conducted.
Meanwhile, after the primaries, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) announced the cancellation of the exercise and rescheduled the exercise for June 4 and 5 in the state.
One of the delegates, Mr. Okorie-Chukwumaobi Okorie. described the repeat primaries as “unconstitutional,” adding that he would not be part of the rescheduled primaries.
Okorie said that the primaries of May 28 and 29 were acceptable to the candidates and warned against those impersonating their names in the fresh primaries.
“The already conducted primary elections were done and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in accordance with the PDP rules and guidelines.
“The three-man ad-hoc delegates from the 171 wards of Ebonyi have elected the candidates of our choice on May 28 and 29. And as such, we are not part of any repeat primaries of June 4 and we are not going to be part of the June 5 exercise,” he said.
Okorie further emphasised the danger of conducting double primaries in Ebonyi State and called on the PDP NEC to save the party from the looming danger of not producing candidates for the 2023 general elections in the state.
Mr. Daniel Onuoha, another delegate, added that the primaries conducted on May 28 and 29 were witnessed by INEC, security agencies and the media, stating that he would not go for any repeat primaries.
“The already conducted primary was described as the most credible, transparent and free and fair one in the recent time. No breach of electoral and party guidelines and no rancour among members of the party.
“It was very surprising to hear that NWC had cancelled and rescheduled another party primaries. We cannot be part of any repeat elections.
“I will not allow those impersonating my name to go unpunished. We have elected the candidates of our choices on May 28 and 29.
“If an election was conducted and you feel that you are not satisfied, the simple thing to do is to approach the court,” Onuoha explained.
Mrs. Regina Iteshi, a delegate said she would sue anybody who impersonates in the rescheduled fresh primaries in the state.
SaharaReporters, however, gathered that the cancellation of primary elections may be connected to the allegation that Governor David Umahi, now a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), sponsored the winner of PDP’s governorship primary, to have someone who would be ready to defect to the APC should he win the election.