The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, cancelled the primaries held in Ebonyi State last month.
The party stated this in a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The letter dated May 31, 2022, was signed by the National Chairman, Senator Iyiocha Ayu, and National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu.
The letter said the elections were cancelled because they violated the guidelines of the party.
They noted that a new date for the elections will be announced shortly
The letter reads: “This is to bring to your kind attention that the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has cancelled the congresses in Ebonyi State which purportedly took place on 29 May 2022 for the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate”.
“The Party also cancelled the gubernatorial congress held on May 29, 2022”.
“The congresses were cancelled for violating the guidelines of the Party as
the committee that purportedly conducted them did not form the required quorum.
“The commission will be informed shortly of the new date for the congresses.”
The cancellation follows the recognition of Mr Tochukwu Okorie in another letter to INEC.
The cancelled primary election was conducted by the Silas Ọnụ- led faction.
The party had been enmeshed in a leadership tussle since the State Executive election last year in which Tochukwu was declared the winner.
Ọnụ challenged the outcome in court and in April the Federal High Court in Abuja sacked Okorie and ordered that Ọnụ be sworn in.
But Tochukwu appealed the ruling in court and the appellate court ordered that the status quo existing before the High Court ruling be maintained effectively ousting Onu.
But Ọnụ continued to lay claim to the Chairmanship and even went ahead to conduct the primaries last week.
Chukwuma Ọdịi emerged winner of the governorship primaries even as most of the aspirants boycotted or withdrew from the said election.
In the Senatorial primaries, Senator Sam Egwu and Senator Ama Nnachi were elected by the delegates for Ebonyi North and Ebonyi South zones.
Laz Ogbee, a former Member representing Ezza South and Ịkwọ Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, clinched the ticket for Ebonyi Central.
With the cancellation, the crisis in the party is set to continue even as time is running out for the party to elect its candidates for the 2023 elections.
