Barely one week after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State conducted a special primary after the death of the former governorship candidate, Prof Uche Ikonne a fresh crisis is looming in the party.
Reports making the round in the state indicated that the ruling party has replaced Ikonne’s deputy governorship candidate, Barr Philip Okey Igwe with his kinsman, Dr. Jasper Uche.
Reacting to the report in a statement cited by LEADERSHIP in Umuahia, the state capital, Igwe called on his supporters and fans to remain calm “in the face of purported substitution”.
“I wish to use this medium to thank all my supporters, fans and all Abians of good will for your phone calls and show of concern in the face of attempted substitution of my candidature,” he said.
The member for Umunneochi state constituency, who said the “Attempted perfidy shall surely fail,” added that, “Yet, my candidature subsists in accord with the constitution and our Electoral Act.
Igwe said he had committed his soul, resources and energy to the course of victory for the party since their nomination and I have accepted the death of Ikonne albeit painfully, as the will of divinity.
“Indeed, certain entrenched interests that are and were opposed to what Prof and myself represented towards charting the course of a new, sustainable Abia, have arisen against me.
“I will advise them to see reason, exercise due caution and understand that their attempt to unlawfully subvert my candidature shall fail and worse still render the entire PDP gubernatorial candidature inchoate “
Arguing that his substitution “will amount to pulling the rug from under the feet of our great party,” he charged his supporters “to remain law-abiding and stay the course towards victory”.
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