Abia PDP elects late Ikonne’s replacement today
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faithful will throng Umuahia Township Stadium today, Saturday, February 4, 2023, to elect a new governorship candidate for the party for the March 11 gubernatorial battle in the state through a fresh primary election.
Today’s governorship primary election was occasioned by the sudden death of the party’s erstwhile governorship candidate, Prof. Uche Ikonne, on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at the National Hospital, Abuja.
Following Ikonne’s demise, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gave Abia PDP 14 days to choose a replacement.
Swiftly, the PDP National Secretariat rolled out a timetable for the fresh governorship primary which will culminate with the election of a new flag bearer today.
Feelers from close quarters in the PDP indicate that the primary election will be a three-cornered fight between Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s acolytes, including his Chief of Staff (CoS), Chief Okey Ahaiwe, erstwhile Commissioner for Works, Barr. Bob Ogu, who recently resigned his appointment to join the fray and a shipping magnate, Eric Opah, all from Isiala Ngwa North local government where the Abia PDP Caucus had zoned the guber ticket to, in honour of their late candidate who hailed from the area.
Also, Mayor Lucky Igbokwe (a.k.a Don Lulu) who came second to late Prof Ikonne during the May 28, 2022 Abia PDP governorship primary, has indicated interest to participate in today’s election, although his call that new entrants should not be allowed to be part of today’s exercise, went unheeded.
Igbokwe had argued that going by the Electoral Act, only those who participated in the 2022 edition of the party’s governorship primary were eligible to stand for today’s internal party election.
Going by developments in the party since the Party Caucus zoned the governorship ticket to Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, Ikpeazu’s Chief of Staff, Ahaiwe, is favoured to pick the Abia PDP governorship ticket.
Indications to this effect are numerous endorsements, several expressions of individual and groups’ support and congratulatory messages pouring in, in advance, for the Chief of Staff whose trip to the Abuja Wadata Plaza National Secretariat of PDP to purchase Expression of Interes and Nomination forms and go through screening was turned into a carnival by party heavy weights from the state, mostly from Isiala Ngwa North.
Party officials say they were expecting a peaceful outing because Abia PDP was a united family.
