PDP Primaries: Anyim Raises Alarm Over ‘Missing’ Ebonyi Delegates’ List

A 2023 presidential aspirant, Anyim Pius Anyim, has raised the alarm over the alleged failure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to provide the list of Ebonyi State delegates expected to partake in the party’s presidential primary scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

Anyim, a former Senate President and ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation, raised the alarm in an open letter addressed to the PDP National Chairman on Friday.

The presidential aspirant said he had demanded an explanation for the exclusion of delegates from his state from the general delegates’ list.

But as of Friday afternoon, Anyim said the PDP national leadership has yet to provide an answer to his inquiry, warning that “disenfranchising delegates from Ebonyi State or any state for that matter will fundamentally affect the election.”

The letter reads in part, “The Chairman may recall that during the meeting of the aspirants and the Special Convention Committee held on the 26th day of May 2022 at the Legacy House, that the entire delegates list for all the states were presented to each of the aspirants.

“On an examination of the list, I discovered that the Ebonyi State delegates list was not included.

“On inquiry from the National Organizing Secretary, he informed me that there was a technical error and it will be corrected today.

“As at the time of writing this letter i.e. 12 noon 27th/05/2022, I have no clue about the fate of the delegates from Ebonyi State.

“The purpose of this letter is to alert all concerned that disenfranchising delegates from Ebonyi State or any state for that matter will fundamentally affect the election.”

THE WHISTLER recalls that some top PDP members have in the past few days defected from the party over alleged non-transparency in the election of delegates and processes leading to the conduct of the party’s primaries.

A presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, defected from the party on Tuesday to forge ahead with his ambition on the platform of the Labour Party.

“…Unfortunately, recent developments within our party make it impossible for me to continue participating and making constructive contributions,” Obi had said.

Also, issues pertaining to the governorship primaries of the PDP had forced prominent aspirants such as a former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu; former Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial District, Gilbert Nnaji; the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and the Abia State Deputy Governor, Chief Ude Oko-Chukwu, to discontinue their ambitions on the platform.

On Friday, Abaribe announced his resignation from the party and joined the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to seek reelection to the Senate.