PDP Plans Reducing Number of Guber Aspirants In Imo

PDP DELEGATES VOTING AT PARTY'S GUBER PRIMARIES IN 2011

  If feelers from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is anything to by, then the party leadership may move towards pruning down the number of those seeking  eying the Imo governorship seat on the party’s platform.

The PDP in Imo State has over 21 persons seeking for the party’s nomination to fly its flag at the forthcoming guber elections.

The alarming number of aspirants attracted the attention of the party leadership at a meeting for Imo PDP guber aspirants held in Abuja sometime last month.

A source at the meeting observed that most of the aspirants were unknown to each other, including top eggheads of the party in the State and in Abuja.

Party leaders expressed surprise at the number of aspirants. While a party leader admitted that the number of aspirants is a positive development for the party, he also expressed fear that by the time the party primary for governorship aspirants is conducted, it may lead to an implosion in the party in Imo State.

The present development in Ekiti State PDP which threw up former Governor Ayo fayose as the party’s flagbearer in the upcoming governorship election in that State was cited as a case study.

Fayose’s emergence led to the balkanisation of the party when other aspirants complained of foul play, alleging the presidency twisted the primaries to favour the former governor. The aggrieved aspirants numbering close to 12 united and adopted a candidate whom they described as their consensus candidate for the forthcoming elections.

This has set the ball rolling for an internal scuffle that may tear Ekiti PDP into bits and pieces.

The Ekiti PDP debacle appears to be giving party leaders serious concern, thus the attempt to persuade some of the governorship aspirants on the party’s platform to either pull out of the race or seek for either the senatorial or House of Reps seat in their respective domain.

Efforts to confirm this development from the Imo State chapter of the PDP was futile as at press time, but a source in the party said while there is no such plan for now to cajole anyone to step out of the governorship race, such an initiative cannot be ruled out.

He said “we will do everything possible to avoid an implosion in Imo PDP. We will strive to avert a repeat of what happened in 2006 and 2011 where most of our party members especially those seeking for elective office had to leave because of an unfair and unjust primaries”

In 2006,the PDP in Imo State was torn apart over an internal crisis. The party had to adopt Ikedi Ohakim from the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) as its candidate.

Ohakim later defected to the PDP.  Ohakim won the polls and emerged Governor of the State before he lost to Rochas Okorocha(then of APGA, now APC) in the 2011 elections.

Among those vying for the PDP governorship ticket include Hon. Bethel Amadi, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Ifeanyi Arararume, Mr. Ken Ojiri, Barr Ken Njemanze(SAN), Barr Humphrey Anumudu, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Barr. Obinna Agomuo, Senator Bright Nwanne,Prof Jude Njoku, Chief Eric  Erivo, etc.