The PDP in Ebonyi State has been torn into two factions.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu has told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the party had cancelled all its congresses held in Ebonyi State.
Mr Ayu, in a letter to INEC, dated May 31, 2022, explained that the congresses were cancelled for violating the PDP's guidelines.
"This is to bring to your kind attention that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has cancelled the congresses in Ebonyi State which purportedly took place on 28th May, 2022 for the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate," Mr Ayu said.
"The party also cancelled the gubernatorial congress held on May 29, 2022.
The congresses were cancelled for violating the guidelines of the party as the committee that purportedly conducted them did not form the required quorum," the national chairman said.
He said the party would inform the commission of the new date for the congresses.
The National Secretary of the party, Samuel Anyanwu, also signed the letter.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that a faction of the PDP in Ebonyi State elected Ifeanyichukwu Odii as its governorship candidate for the 2023 general election during a controversial primary held on Sunday.
The exercise was held despite the position of the national leadership of the party which it had announced earlier.
The national spokesperson of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said in a statement on Sunday that the decision was made after extensive consultations and deliberation by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
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But in a counter statement, shortly after, a factional chairman of the party in the state, Silas Onu, denied that the party's primaries were cancelled.
Mr Onu accused the PDP spokesperson of issuing the statement without authorisation from the party's NWC.
Another faction of the party in the state led by Tochukwu Okorie, was said to have distanced itself from the exercise, citing the cancellation by the national leadership of the party.
Background
The Ebonyi chapter of the PDP has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis lately. The crisis has frustrated efforts to conduct the three-man delegate election across wards in the state.
The crisis has also split the party into factions resulting in postponement of congresses in various wards and council areas of the state about three times.
The postponements followed a myriad of court rulings sacking and reinstating factional leaderships of the party in the state.
Messrs Onu and Okorie have been engaged in a battle for the control of the party in the state, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
