A faction within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), known as PDP Action 2023, announced on Wednesday that former Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha withdrew from the state governorship primary, citing an unfair and unjust process orchestrated by the PDP national leadership. The group warned that the primary would not be free, fair, or just because the party’s national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu—who is also a contender—was supervising the primaries.
According to a letter dated 27 March 2023 addressed to the office of the PDP National Chairman, Ihedioha formally announced his withdrawal from the Imo governorship primary. In a statement, the group’s chairman, Rufus Omeire, said that Ihedioha, a dedicated PDP member since 1999, had been treated unfairly by the party’s leadership. Omeire noted that while Anyanwu, an indigene of Imo State, was entitled to vie for the governorship, it was improper for a sitting national secretary to supervise a primary in which he was a contestant.
The group described it as shocking that Anyanwu was both screened as an aspirant and later signed the clearance certificates of the successful aspirants, including himself. Omeire cited Section 47(5) of the PDP constitution, which requires the party to specify a resignation period for any national officer seeking elective office. He argued that the party, under the suspended Ayu, failed to enforce this rule, thereby giving undue advantage to national officers who could remain in office and preside over primaries in which they are candidates.
The statement concluded that the only fair course of action for the PDP is to reopen the process to allow another credible candidate to join the race in Imo State. Failure to do so, the group warned, would enable Ayu to “kill” the Imo PDP, leaving the party on “life support.”
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