The runner-up in the first Abia Governorship primary election, Mayor Lucky Igbokwe, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to bury the decision by a few members of the party to micro-zone the next governorship candidate of the party to Isiala LGA.

A press release signed by Elder Abraham Amah, Abia PDP Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary stated that, “following the death of the Abia PDP gubernatorial candidate Prof. Eleazar Uche Ikonne, on January 25, 2022, and the subsequent directive by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct a fresh primary within 14 days to replace him, members of the Abia PDP State Caucus met today and zoned the vacant Guber seat to Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, the home LGA of the late Prof. UcheIkonne.”

Igbokwe criticized the decision of a few members of the party to choose a replacement for the party’s governorship candidate in the re-run ordered by INEC, saying it was wrong to exclude those who participated in the first primary while admitting fresh candidates in the re-run.

Igbokwe said the decision ran against the intention of the electoral law and the instruction of INEC that the election should be conducted in 14 days.

Igbokwe said: “Festus Okoye the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee has stated, the election is still one month away, and the State’s ruling party the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has a window to conduct a fresh primary within 14 days of Ikonne’s death. Rather than follow due process by conducting a fresh primary as INEC instructed, the governor has handpicked a number of people to choose one of his lackeys to cover his tracks in a sham primary just like he did in the last primary where there was no ad hoc election in the choice of delegates.

According to Igbokwe, the primary was marred by scandals and many people withdrew from the contest while Local Government chairmen were threatened and compelled to fall in line with the governor’s wish which was that his candidate Professor Ikonne must be voted for.

“The few who defied Ikpeazu, and his threats voted for me, and I came second. The governor knows if there was going to be a re-run, it would be among those who participated in the first primary, and I will come tops. Why would a re-run be discussed without involving the earlier participants of which I am the last man standing?

“Ikpeazu’s decision to zone out anyone contesting outside the Isiala Ngwa LGA is wrong. All those who participated during the first primary must not be excluded from the party decision-making process on a rerun.

“We invested in the party and cannot just be ignored. PDP must create room for growth and not recruit unwilling horses who did not aspire to lead just because an outgoing governor is afraid of his loot being uncovered. You do not force a child who did not do well in the sciences to read medicine, otherwise, he would flunk his exams. This is why Abia State has failed woefully and keeps failing.”

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