The memories of the botched June 12 election of 1992 resonated in Abia State chapter of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, as it settles for ”Option A4″ for the November 29 governorship primaries in the state.
Accordibg to the Abia State Chairman of PDP, Senator Emma Nwaka who disclosed this on Monday at the party’s Secretariat Umuahia while inaugurating the 11-man congress committee to elect ad-hoc delegates for the exercise, he said delegates would queue behind their preferred candidate at the primaries.
“It is important for us to know that the inauguration of congress committee that would conduct congress which would produce ad-hoc delegates for the primaries was the responsibility of the state leadership of the party, while the national leadership was vested with the powers of appointing the committee for the primaries.
“The three ad-hoc delegates would be produced to represent each of the 184 political wards in the state for the governorship primaries, while a delegate per council would also be elected to participate in the Presidential primaries.
“The 552 ad-hoc delegates would join the statutory delegates to elect the party’s flag bearer for the governorship election in an open contest,” he said.
Nwaka restated the commitment of the party’s leadership to the principles of internal democracy and due process, assuring that all contenders in the race would be given equal opportunity.
He however frowned at the attitude of some aspirants who he accused of using lawyers to write protest letters to threaten the party , warning that anyone found in such unconstitutional act would be decisively dealt with.
The PDP boss explained that the party has laid down procedures of settling internal disputes, and told any aggrieved person (s) to exploit such internal mechanisms instead of resorting to unconstitutional means which he warned had grave consequences .
Some members of the 11-man congress committee headed by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya include: former Secretary to the State Government, Mazi Donatus Okorie; former PDP Chairman , Dr. Ndiidi Okereke; the state’s Administrative Secretary of PDP, Mr. Uzoma Ugele; and PDP Deputy Chairman, Chief Ralph Obioha, while the party’s Legal Adviser, Chief Gab Igboko serves as the Secretary.
In his post inauguration speech, the Chairman, Chief Ogbonnaya, thanked the party’s leadership for considering them fit for the assignment, and promised not to betray the confidence reposed in them.
