By Ikechukwu Odu
NSUKKA—–Mixed reactions have greeted the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, primary elections for the House of Representatives, HoRs, and State House of Assembly, HoA, aspirants in Enugu North Senatorial District of Enugu State on Sunday.
While the Returning Officers for the Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South HoRs, and Nsukka West and East State Constituencies HoA primary elections in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Chinedu Onu, and Fidelis Agbo, respectively declared the elections as free, fair, and transparent, some of the aspirants who failed in the exercise alleged that the winners were predetermined by the powers that be in the state.
Onu, who announced the HoRs results for Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency seat at the main bowl of Nsukka Township Stadium, said that a former chairman of PDP in the state, Vita Abba, polled a total of 91 votes out of 111 accredited delegates votes to defeat his fellow contenders.
He also announced that the runner up , Mr Clinton Isiwu scored 11 votes while a 4th term representative of the Constituency, Pat Asadu, got two votes. He equally said that Chidi Obetta, Aniegbulam Ezeugwu and Chukuemeka Asogwa got one vote each, adding that four of the delegates votes were void.
He also thanked the delegates for conducting themselves in orderly manner at the primary election.
In his acceptance remark, Abba expressed appreciation to the delegates for voting for him and promised that he would not disappoint the party if elected at the 2023 general elections.
“This victory is victory for PDP, it is victory for justice and victory for democracy in our Constituency.
“I thank all the delegates and the party for finding me worthy to fly the party’s flag in 2023,’’ Abba said.
Also, at Adada House where the state HoA election for Nsukka East state Constituency held, Barr. Ngozi Onah, polled a total of 27 votes out of the 28 delegates’ votes to emerge the winner.
Similarly, 30 delegates’ votes were enough for Amos Agbo, to emerge the PDP flagbearer for Nsukka West State Constituency.
However, some of the aspirants expressed disappointment at the outcome of the elections, pointing out that there was foul play by the party leadership.
One of the aspirants who lost his bid for the Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South House of Representatives seat, Barr. Peter Odo, described what transpired during the elections as “the last minutes game.” Though, he said he has accepted the outcome of the election, he advised the party hierarchy to work on its internal communication mechanism to avoid politics of calumny and acrimony.
Also, another aspirant for the seat, Jude Asogwa, who staged a walk out before the commencement of voting, alleged that he was not familiar with the faces of the delegates he met at the venue of the election. Asogwa said he was going to seek the services of his lawyer to determine his next line of action.
Similarly, a mild protest broke out before the primary election at Nsukka Township Stadium among the aspirants for the Nsukka West State Constituency who got a privileged information that Agbo has been allegedly endorsed by the party leadership to win the contest.
One of the aspirants, Kingsley Agbo, from Obukpa Ward, who registered his grievances with newsmen after the exercise alleged that the election was not free and fair.
Agbo further alleged that the delegates were given instruction on who to vote for before voting commenced, adding that he would not accept the outcome of the exercise.
The leader of the Independent Electoral Commission ,INEC, team who monitored all the elections in Nsukka Local Government Area, Mr. Brendan Uzoagba, however, described the exercise as free and fair.
In other results, Simon Atigwe, became the PDP flagbearer for Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, while Martin Oke emerged the party’s flagbearer for Uzo-Uwani/Igbo-Etiti Federal Constituency.
Some of the results for the House of Assembly elections include: Udenu LGA, Hon. Solomon Izuchukwu Onah, a serving local government chairman; Igbo Eze North Constituency 2, Hon. Clifford Obe; Igbo Eze North Constituency 1, Hon. Mrs. Ngozi Ezeja; Igbo Eze South Constituency, Hon. Vitus Okechi, a serving local government chairman; Igbo-Etiti East, Hon. Ezenta Ezeani.
Others are: Igbo-Etiti West, Engr. Chukwuebuka Ugwu; Uzo Uwani State Constituency, Hon. Chukwuma Ekweme.
