Fates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants for the party’s ticket for the Imo State House Assembly and National Assembly elections have remained hanging as the party failed to conduct its primary elections at the weekend, following the crisis that marred its election of delegates for the primary
Imo PDP in a statement issued by its Legal Adviser, Kessinger Ikokwu, said it has suspended its primaries for the House of Assembly and House of Representatives indefinitely, over the un reconciled delegates list.
Ikokwu blamed the non-conduct of the primaries to confusion caused by the National Assembly, adding that Imo would not vote along with other states who were now voting with their three-man and one man national delegates.
He said: “Please note that the reason for the suspension of the PDP house of assembly and house of representatives primaries in Imo was a result of the confusion that arose from the error of the national assembly in the country.
“This is hinged on Section 84 (8) of the Electoral Act which inadvertently led to the exclusion of over 80 per cent of delegates ordinarily meant to vote at the primaries.
“The Imo PDP case became compounded because it hadn’t tidied up its three-man ad hoc delegates, who ought to vote at the primaries due to pending litigations.
“Every preparation was made for us to use our statutory delegates to vote, before the national assembly saw the error in Section 84 of the Amended Electoral Act, 2022, which excluded the statutory delegates.
“What it means is that it created a situation of chaos for Imo because we have not concluded our elected delegates,” he explained.
According to him, there is no crisis, as the leadership of the party at all levels are working together to make sure our ad hoc delegates are cleared to vote at our primaries on a later date to be announced.
He assured them that as soon as President Muhammadu Buhari signed the amended Electoral Act, 2022, the state delegate list would be properly constituted to vote at the primaries.
