Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu: boycotted Ebonyi primary that produced a winner

The Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi beat seven other aspirants to win the ticket at the primaries held at the Abakaliki Township Stadium.

The other contenders were Engr. Paul Okorie, Dr. Aja Nwachkwu, Chief Hycinth Ikpo, Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, Chief Michael Ude Udumanta, Senator Offia Nwali and Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, who was absent, just like Governor Martins Elechi.

Announcing the results of the peaceful primaries that had 592 delegates, chairman of the governorship primary panel and Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose declared Umahi, who polled 541 votes as the winner and the party’s candidate in the 2015 governorship election.

In Akwa Ibom state, Governor Godswill Akpabio’s favoured aspirant and immediate past Secretary to the State Government, Udom Emmanuel, won the PDP governorship ticket.

But the election was boycotted by 21 other aspirants. There were 24 aspirants in the race.

Mr. Emmanuel polled 1,201 votes and was declared winner by the chairman of the Election Panel, Bola Oyebowale.

Held at the Uyo International Stadium, the 21 aspirants alleged massive irregularities and lack of transparency in the exercise and walked out a few minutes to the commencement of voting.

The protesting aspirants included former deputy governor, Mr. Nsima Ekere; former Nigerian Ambassador to Russia and the Belarus, Chief Assam E. Assam (SAN); Engineer Larry Esin; former Commissioner for Rural Development, Barrister Bassey Dan-Abia; and former Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner, Ekpenyong Ntekim.

The aggrieved aspirants said they had no confidence in the process leading to the primary election, alleging that there was no proper accreditation of delegates even as they said that delegates in the election were ‘fake’.