BY PETER OKUTU

ABAKALIKI- STATE delegates in the just concluded Ebonyi chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, congress, weekend, elected new executives who would pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years.

The congress, which took place at Abakaliki Township Stadium, witnessed a large turnout of delegates and PDP supporters, including Governor Martin Elechi, the three senators representing the senatorial zones of the state, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, House of Representative members as super delegates.

Local government chairmen and other party faithful also participated as delegates in the election. The election was conducted in an orderly manner, with security operatives at different locations in the venue of the election to nip in the board any possible outbreak of violence.

However, the results of the election indicated the re-election of all the former executives of the party, including the state chairman, Chief Ugorji Ama-oti, returning unopposed with a total of 205 votes to clinch the position.

Declaring the results of the election, Chairman, PDP National Congress Committee, Ebonyi State,  Samuel Obande, expressed satisfaction over the performances and orderly conduct exhibited by the delegates during the election.

He added that if the elections were conducted in such fashion in the country, issues of violence, thuggery and hooliganism would be a thing of the past.

Obande, who attributed the success of the election to the peaceful disposition of the leadership of the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi, pointed out that the election was a reflection of the cooperation, oneness and togetherness existing in the party over the years.

In his acceptance speech, Chairman of the party, Chief Ugorji Ama-Oti, thanked the committee for strictly abiding by the rules and regulations governing the conduct of PDP election.

He assured the people of his commitment to take the party to the next level vis-à-vis the forthcoming governorship election in 2015, adding that no amount of opposition from other political parties would make the party drift from prosecuting the set standards required to move the state forward at all times.

“I will make sure the party under my leadership waxed stronger and stronger every time. I want to assure the people of the state, the governor and lovers of PDP that I am committed to the party always and would ensure that no amount of opposition will make us drift away from what we intend to achieve for the people of this state,” he said.