A former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, has announced his withdrawal from the Imo State governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He made the disclosure in a letter addressed to the PDP National Chairman dated March 27, 2023.
According to him, upon attainment of 58 years of age last week, he reflected on many issues including the state of the PDP in Imo State.
Ihedioha, a founding member of the PDP since 1998, said he aligned himself “with the request made by our state chapter to the National Working Committee (NWC) for a consensus choice of candidate regarding the 2023 governorship primaries. In the interest of harmony and unity of the party, I have elected to make the personal sacrifice of withdrawing from further participation in the processes leading to the emergence of the gubernatorial candidate.
“This decision was not taken lightly. My commitment to the service of our people has never been in doubt. And I am sure many of those who have, on their, already started mobilizing for me in Imo state will be disappointed. I sincerely seek their understanding and that of associates, admirers and particularly the electorates who have over the years aligned themselves and identified with my political aspirations.
“I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have served my various constituencies both as a legislator and governor, I am also proud of the positive impact I made, particularly in the seven months I served as the governor of Imo state,” the letter read.
Already, Ihedioha and Senator Samuel Anyanwu have been screened and cleared to contest the primary election which promises to be keen contest.
Anyanwu, who lost the primary election to Ihedioha in 2018, is leaving no stone unturned in seeking to clinch the PDP ticket this time around even as both men have been locked in a game of wits to outsmart one another.
Meanwhile, Ihedioha did not give any pointers to leaving the party.
Already, his decision has left some his supporters disappointed as some of them have taken to their social media handles to lament the development.
Recall that Ihedioha was elected governor in the 2019 general election for seven months before the Supreme Court announced Governor Hope Uzodimma as the rightful winner even though the latter came fourth in the election according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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