Abia PDP primary: Result being awaited as voting ends
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Result of the Abia PDP Special Delegates conference is being awaited as voting has just been concluded.
Voting commenced by 2.45.pm at the conference going on at Umuahia Township Stadium to elect a new governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State.
Surprisingly, eight contenders stepped into the ring for the coveted tickect, as against four contestants projected earlier.
The number of aspirants increased as a result of the inclusion of those who contested alongside late Prof. Uche Ikonne in the primary of May 2022.
The aspirants are the Deputy Governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu. a former Chairman of PDP in the state, Sir Emma Nwaka, Sampson Orji (Scourge), Mayor Lucky Igbokwe and Mrs Ezinwanyi Jonah.
The new entrants are Eriic Opah, immediate past Commissioner for Works, Bob Chidozie Ogu, and immediate past Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Okey Ahiwe.
Shortly before balloting commenced, the trio of Mrs Jonah, Opah and Ogu stepped down for Ahiwe, leaving five aspirants in the race.
In their short, separate messages, the aspirants tried to woo the delegates by announcing their manifestoes with which they hope to lift the state, if given the party’s governorship ticket and eventually emerges the governor.
Chairman of the Congress Committee and Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, assured that his committee would conduct the exercise transparently.
Independent National Electoral Commission’s Chairman of Voter Education and Publicity, Barr. Festus Okoye, led some top staff of the Commission to monitor the Abia PDP governorship primary.
