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…Disowns purported letter by Ayu

By Steve Oko

There is yet no end to the raging controversy over the governorship running mate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State, as the party’s Campaign Council, has insisted that Dr Jasper Uche remains its deputy governorship candidate for the March 11 election.

The Chairman, Media and Publicity of the Campaign Council, and Commissioner for Information, Eze Chikamnayo, stated this Monday at a press briefing in Umuahia, disowned a purported letter claiming that Hon. Okey Igwe who was the running mate to the late Uche Ikonne, had been re-affirmed as the party’s governorship running mate.

Chikamnayo explained that the new governorship candidate of the party, Chief Okey Ahiwe who emerged in a fresh primary following the death of Professor Ikonne, duly nominated Dr Uche as his running mate.

He said that the PDP Acting Publicity Secretary, and Vice Chairman, Abia North, Elder Abraham Amah, who in a press briefing earlier on Sunday, confirmed that Uche had been dropped and Igwe re-affirmed as the party’s governorship running mate, “spoke for himself”.

Recall that the letter re-affirming Igwe addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was jointly signed by the National President of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu; and National Secretary, of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

The letter which claimed that Uche’s name was transmitted to INEC in error, urged the electoral umpire to recognize Igwe as the valid deputy governorship candidate for Abia.

But Chikamnayo dismissed the letter as a misrepresentation of facts, urging members of the public to discountenance it.

The Information Commissioner in a statement released at the briefing also said Amah did not convey the true position of Abia PDP and had been advised.

The statement read in part:”I have been inundated with calls and enquiries from various media outlets, well-meaning citizens and our dear Party faithful on a statement purportedly credited to Chief Ama Abraham,  the State acting Publicity Secretary of the Party.

“As the Chairman of the  Media and Publicity Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party,  Abia State,  and after due enquiries,  I can confirm that there is no confusion in the Abia State PDP as is being erroneously reported by a section of the Media with respect to the position of the Deputy Governorship Candidacy of our great Party.

“Firstly,  the matter of the Deputy Governorship Candidacy of the PDP Abia State is subjudice as Hon . Okey Igwe, in defiance to Party Rules and Regulations, has approached the Courts on the matter with all Parties duly served. Therefore,  neither Chief Ama Abraham nor any other legal person has the authority to pronounce the matter until after the ongoing Judicial Intervention.

“Any letter from any source being bandied by any individual or group to create confusion should be totally disregarded. Such documents, if authentic,  can only assist the Courts if and when they are properly presented therein.

“As it stands,  Dr . Jasper Uche,  whose name has been duly submitted to INEC after fresh primaries of the party occasioned by the painful demise of Prof. Eleazar Uche Ikonne  remains the authentic deputy governorship candidate of our great party.

“Chief Ama Abraham,  who may have inadvertently expressed his personal opinion,  bias or sentiment during the said press conference has been duly advised. 

“All members of the Peoples Democratic Party,  the media and the general public  who may have been taken aback by this unfortunate incident are urged to disregard the needless controversy and sustain the tempo of the campaign while focusing on ensuring that we secure victory for our amiable governorship candidate,  Chief Okechukwu Ahiwe and all PDP Candidates come Saturday,  March 11th, 2023.”