Ayogu,Ugwuanyi conduct parallel guber primaries in Enugu State

Three parallel primaries of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, took place at
different locations within the Enugu metropolis.
The Ayogu Eze’s faction of the party moved away
from the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium to conduct a
separate primary at Filbon Hotel, Enugu, following
confirmed reports that the list of delegates
approved by the National Working Committee,
NWC, of the party was changed for a fresh one by
the Ikeje Asogwa’s faction, while the group led by a
transport mogul, Evang. Samuel Onyishi, boycotted
the primary over the illegality of the delegates list
provided for the primary, saying that their p.
The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon.
Eugene Odo is also in the race but eventually
showed up at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium an
indication that he has aligned with the Sullivan
Chime/ Asogwa faction. Senator Eze won at a
parallel primary conducted at Fibon with 530 votes
out of 614 votes cast.
Both Anayo Onwuegbu and Chinedu Onu who are
close allies of the Deputy Senate President, Chief
Ike Ekweremadu withdrew for Hon Ugwuanyi on the
prodding of Ekweremadu.
Ugwuanyi, House Committee Chairman on Maritime
is the anointed candidate of Governor Chime.
However, going by the outcome of the delegates
election conducted by Elder David Aja, on
November 1, 2014, which was boycotted by the
Chime’s group led by Mr Asogwa, Ekweremadu
produced majority of the delegates from Enugu
West Senatorial District, while Eze produced most
of those from Enugu North Senatorial Zone.
Onu later said that he withdrew for PDP and not for
any person as he was not satisfied with the way
the primary was organised by the party.
However, the delegates from the Enugu East
Senatorial zone owe their victories to the former
Minister of Information, Mr Frank Nweke Jnr and
his group including Senator Gil Nnaji among
others.
Sources said that although Ekweremadu had lent
his weight to the aspirations of Hon. Ugwanyi,
there would not have been any major upset as his
two allies who withdrew from the race on his
instructions had no control over the delegates from
their zones.
At the time of filing this report, Ugwuanyi group
were still holding their primary at the Stadium were
he is expected to emerge winner.
As at Sunday night, almost all the delegates
approved by the National Working Committee,
NWC, had gathered at Senator Eze’s Enugu home
while those from Enugu East who were loyal to
Nweke Jnr and his group were also camped in the
former minister’s country home in Nkanu, waiting
to vote for the Senator.
At a news briefing presided over by the Chairman
of the PDP Electoral Panel in Enugu State, King
Asarah A. Asarah, Eze and Onyishi raised concerns
over the genuineness of the delegates list used in
yesterday’s exercise.
Onyishi said,”why should the delegates list to be
used in today’s (yesterday) governorship primary
be different from what was used in the House of
Reps and Senatorial primaries. It is purely a case
of selective delegates.
“I am still in the race of governorship. If I had gone
to the stadium, venue of the primary, it will mean I
am giving impetus to the adulterated delegates
list.”
Responding,the electoral panel chairman Asarah A.
Asarh said,”I know the list was not the certified list
from the court. My hands are tied. I cannot go
contrary to the mandate given to me.”
It was expected that the combined efforts of
Senator Eze and his friends in Enugu East would
have whittled down the efforts of Senator
Ekweremadu, who had already got his ticket back
to the Senate for the fourth time following the
withdrawal of Governor Chime from the race.