Similarly, the party also described as untrue the claim by Senator Ayogu Eze, that he won the party’s primary in the state.
In a statement signed by the party’s publicity secretary, Dr. Okey Eze, a copy of which was made available to Daily Sun, the party insisted that the primary election, which held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and which was attended by INEC and other stakeholders, which produced Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was the authentic one.
According to the party, even the PDP Governorship Primary Election Panel from Abuja headed by King Asara Asara, was at the said venue and duly conducted the election with the official delegates list, ballot papers, and result sheets all obtained from the party headquarters.
It further said in the end, it announced the result and declared Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as the winner, having obtained a total of 937 votes out of the 983 votes cast.
The statement further said: “All the statutory delegates of the Enugu State Chapter of the PDP, including Governor Sullivan Chime and his Deputy; the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; the State Chairman of the PDP and all state party officials; all Members of the National Assembly from Enugu State (except Senator Ayogu Eze); all members of the Enugu State House of Assembly (including the Speaker and gubernatorial aspirant, Hon. Eugene Odo); all Local Government Council Chairmen and Local Government party Chairmen; Board of Trustee members, including the former National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, etc. were all present and voted at the primary held at the stadium, along with the elected delegates.
“Some gubernatorial aspirants, such as Chief Anayo Onwuegbu and Hon. Chinedu Onu, who withdrew from the gubernatorial race in the interest of the peace and cohesion of our party, were also in attendance.
“It is noteworthy that Senator Ayogu Eze, by his own admission, claimed that his purported ‘election’ was conducted at Filbon Hotel, Enugu. The said venue was not recognised by the PDP, its National Panel for the gubernatorial primary election, INEC, and other relevant agencies for the conduct of the election, hence their absence at the illegal venue and charade,” it added
Querying the authenticity of the Senator Ayogu Eze’s claim further, the party asked “Since the bodies authorised by the party, the 1999 Constitution, and the Electoral Act 2010 to organise/supervise/observe primary elections were all absent, which ballot papers, result sheets, and certificate of return did Senator Ayogu Eze use?
“Senator Eze also admitted that it was the delegates, who were supposed to vote at the primary election that conducted his purported primary election. Who certified and accredited the delegates? Do our laws, party constitution and guidelines for primary elections permit aspirants to just assemble a handful of rented passers-by to assume both the roles of delegates, election organisers, returning officers, INEC, etc. and declare themselves winners?”