By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — ANXIETY is mounting in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP following the cancellation of the gubernatorial primaries held in Kogi state with a call for a re-run and a day after, the party has made a u-turn on its decision.

Vanguard gathered yesterday that the leadership of the party at the Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat bowed to pressure and very intense lobby from stakeholders in Kogi especially the state governor, Ibrahim Idris who was said to have told the NWC that there was no point having a re-run of the governorship primaries.

The party at the end of its National Working Committee, NWC meeting, as gathered, will hold back on it as it was not clear if the re-run will hold owing to the party’s battle with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

When asked on the position of the party, a member of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party told Vanguard that the gubernatorial re-run fixed for Kogi State will not take place, but the Senatorial ones will hold.

According to the party, it was not conducting a re-run, but correcting the irregularities observed during the last primaries.
Also speaking on the development, National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke, who noted that the position of the party was yes and no, stressed that the party was holding back on Kogi for now, just as he said INEC could make a law, it takes the court to interpret it.

While the PDP wants to go ahead with the primaries, INEC is of the view that it was not extending its deadline for the conduct of parties’ primaries and conventions to nominate candidates for the April general elections, just as its deadline was January 15, 2011.

The Party also annulled the primaries of Kano as well as Senatorial Primaries held in Sokoto East, Bauchi North, Taraba Central, Adamawa North and South, Kogi Central, East and West, Oyo Central and Delta Central.

Meanwhile, the  Acting National Chairman of the Party, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, has described the death of the wife of the Party’s North East National Vice Chairman, Senator Paul Wampana,Mrs. Esther Wampana as a huge loss.

In a statement signed by the Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, Dr. Bello said the entire members of the Party deeply regret the death, adding,“We wish to convey to you and your family our sincere condolence on the painful passing on of your beloved wife. Married to you for thirty – two years, we can only imagine the huge vacuum her painful demise has created. We ask God Almighty to grant her eternal rest”.

‘’The statement further asked God to grant the entire Wampana family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”