Governorship 2023: I Will Not Be Part Of PDP Primaries – Abaribe

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has said he will not be partaking in the governorship primary elections of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled for Wednesday 25th of May.

The Senate Minority Leader disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, titled – ‘Notice of Non-Participation in the Abia PDP Gubernatorial Primaries’.

Abaribe cited failure to establish a level-playing field for all aspirants vying for elective offices in the state, to participate equally in the primary elections and the interferences of godfathers as a major reason why he was opting out of the exercise.

According to the lawmaker, matters grew worse, when the party sought to use “only an imaginary 3-man Adhoc delegates” to the exclusion of the party’s statutory delegates in the primary elections, even when INEC had stated that no congress held in Abia State for that purpose.

This he says without a doubt has put the party and her candidates in a quagmire.

“Accordingly, I Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe will not be part of this charade,” the parliamentarian declared.

“I am therefore not participating in the exercise, which means that I will not be part of the PDP governorship primary election that holds in Abia State on Wednesday 25th of May, 2022 as doing so would have amounted to endorsement of an illegality that is already being challenged in the courts.”

Abaribe revealed the last couple of weeks have been tortuous as battles have raged in a bid to navigate the PDP away from a self-destructive path.

The former Abia deputy governor was of the opinion that what was currently being witnessed within the party in the state is a shambolic process driven by a procured court injunction.

“The implication for our party is grave and as such has put all ongoing primary exercises on quick sand.

“I am known for standing firm in defence of my convictions for the right of all people to a free and fair democratic process. That was why my campaign set sail on a democratic journey that took us to all the nooks and crannies of our dear state.

“We covered all the local governments and we could see the enthusiasm on the faces of our people who are desirous of change to a progressive government with a human face.

“We committed human and material resources, preaching the ‘Rise Up Abia’ message for the total emancipation of our State from the drudgery of imposition and godfatherism, which has seen the state at the lowest wrung of infrastructural, human and material development index among the states of the federation.

“Our people were and are indeed fired up for a new lease of life that will be brought about by a people’s government.

“There was no doubt that Abians are tired of being subjected to being the butt of jokes and ridicule from their peers, particularly those from the contiguous states that were hitherto far behind Abia State in the development index in the time past.

“That was the narrative we sought to change when the campaign took off.
“Unfortunately, the ugly developments ignited by a rapacious ambition to maintain the wicked governance status quo of imposition and godfatherism have aborted this quest in PDP,” Abaribe enunciated.

He asked all Abians, his teeming supporters and Ndigbo to remain calm, keep the faith and wait for the new direction, which will be announced very soon.

According to him, what is important is that the campaign to liberate Abia State would surely assume a new dimension.

“The time is now,” the Senate Minority Leader proclaimed.