Anambra PDP Primaries: Oduah Cries Foul, Threatens To Withdraw

Senator Stella Oduah, an aspirant in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra, has threatened withdrawal from the race, alleging irregularities in Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) build-up to the primary election.
Oduah, a former Minister of Aviation, made this known on Friday in Abuja, alleging that the Ward congress of the party held, on Wednesday to elect three delegates per ward, was fraught with “irregularities and sabotage’’.
According to her, as if the case of hijacking was not enough, the ultimate result of the ward congress which was submitted by the Secretary of the panel was switched for a doctored result.
She disclosed that she had petitioned the National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, over the matter, and threatened to withdraw from the primary if the party failed to address the problem.
“The exercise violated all known principles of democratic practice. Several complaints have continued to trail the exercise as most party faithful are disgruntled and agitated,’’ Oduah said.
“Based on the above, I wrote to notify the chairman of my protest and intention to withdraw from the 2017 gubernatorial primaries in Anambra if the party fails to address the issues presented.
“This is because the approach employed for the party primary is not aimed at winning election.
“The implication of this is to subject loyal party faithful to stressful and rancorous primary to weaken and sap the strength of candidate that will emerge from the exercise.
“It should be recalled that this has been the reason our party has been losing gubernatorial elections in Anambra.
“There is no doubt that our party has undergone a torturous battle. Along the line, some wavered and many of our members dropped and a lot others left the mainstream party.
“While some states were hard hit, the impact on others was light. In many states, members of the party were abandoned to their fate like orphans.
“This is particularly so where we have governors at the hem of affairs who are in the opposition.
“In such case, the burden of managing the state chapter of our party fell on few elders and some parliamentarians elected on the platform of the party.
“At some point, I became the only senator elected on the platform of our great party in state, but myself and a few elders kept the flag flying until today that the party regained its glory.
“It was in view of this that the elders of the party in my state encouraged me to step forward to lead the party in the upcoming gubernatorial election of Nov. 18.”