IPOB’s Sit-At-Home Forces PDP To Shift Primaries In South East

Although the spokesperson for IPOB, Emma Powerful, had repeatedly claimed that the sit-at-home order had been suspended, some gunmen have continued to terrorise and kill residents who fail to observe it.

In Abia State, the PDP announced the postponement of the party senatorial primaries, inconclusive House of Representatives and state House of Assembly primary elections in the state citing insecurity.

A statement by the state Vice Chairman, Elder Amah Abraham, said the party postponed the election by 24 hours due to “The current security situation in the South East.”

The party informed the general public, stakeholders, delegates and members of the PDP that the senatorial primary elections would hold in the three senatorial zones by noon.

Abraham said the inconclusive elections into the five federal constituencies and the three state constituencies would also hold today at the approved locations only.

Anambra 3-man Adhoc delegates’ election holds Tuesday

The party has not been able to hold its primaries in Anambra State because of a crisis over the delegates’ congress.

The delegate election earlier fixed for April 30 was later shifted to May 1 by the Jibrin Ahmed-led panel.

However, the election failed to hold on the rescheduled date when it was discovered that the panel members came to hold the election without the original result sheet.

The three-man ad hoc delegate election ought to have been held yesterday to enable the party to conduct its primaries today but failed to hold because of the sit-at-home being observed in the state on Mondays.

It was gathered that the party will now hold the delegates’ congress today in preparation for the primaries within the week.

Controversy in Ebonyi

The primaries did not also hold in Ebonyi over the fear of safety by officials and members of the party because of the sit-at-home.

The senator representing Ebonyi Central and the PDP governorship aspirant, Senator Obinna Ogba, confirmed this to journalists.

The exercise is expected to resume today.

However, there is controversy over the conduct following the plan by the restated state Chairman, Toochukwu Okorie, to conduct delegates’ congress today instead of the earlier slated primaries.

Okorie was yesterday declared the authentic state chairman of the party by the Court of Appeal after he was ousted by a Federal High Court in Abuja and replaced by Silas Onu.

In an interview, he said the primaries for the House of Representatives and Senate would hold on Wednesday.

But Onu in a statement released Monday evening insisted that he still remained the state chairman, adding that the primaries for the Senate would take place today.

Imo

The situation remains the same in Imo State where the sit-at-home forced the party not to conduct the primaries.

The entire streets of Owerri and its environs were completely deserted as residents stayed at home to observe the order.

Shops, schools and commercial centres were completely closed as candidates for the West African School Certificate Examination had to stay over in their schools to enable them sit for the exam.

Meanwhile, the suspended primary for the opposition PDP is expected to hold today.

The Three-man ad hoc delegates Congress would hold today ahead of the primaries fixed for Wednesday.