2019 Abia guber race : PDP adopts Ikpeazu as consensus candidate
By Steve Oko

In less than two months before the paty primaries that will produce its flag bearers at different categories of the 2019 polls, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State has adopted the incumbent Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu as its consensus candidate for the number one seat in the state.
Ikpeazu’s adoption which Wawa News Global gathered was unanimous and without any dissenting voice, was the outcome of the party’s enlarged state caucus meeting held Friday (August 31) evening at the Banquet Hall of Government House Umuahia.
Briefing newsmen later after the meeting which was massively attended by ‘who is who’ in Abia PDP, the State Chairman of the party, Sir Johnson Onuigbo said that the caucus which is the highest decision-making body of the party arrived at the decision based on Ikpeazu’s “impressive achievements so far in office”.

Onuigbo also added that the decision had become expedient to enable Abia South senatorial zone complete its turn of two tenures on the seat of power as other zones had done in the spirit of Abia Charter of Equity which recommend power ration among the zones.
The PDP boss also said participants at the meeting discussed other germane issues bordering on the progress of the party.
He vowed that PDP was determined to retain power in the state come 2019 despite “the rantings and empty propaganda ” by the opposition.
Later in a communiqué on behalf of the caucus, the PDP State Secretary, Chief Ibe Nwadioha said “the caucus passed a vote of confidence on the Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu for keeping the flag of the PDP flying and urged all members of the party to support him for a second term in office.”
The communiqué equally commended the party’s leadership in the State for “upholding the ideals of PDP” as well as its unalloyed support to the Governor .
According to the communiqué, “the PDP will ensure that the forthcoming primary elections in the State will be free and fair as all aspirants will be given a level playing ground.”
The communique further advised all those justling for the party’s flag in any of the categories of the elections to be in touch with the people at the grass root who have the powers to elect or reject them at the primaries.
Meanwhile, analysts see the Governor’s adoption as a sole candidate as a contradiction of the party’s earlier position that ” there will be no automatic ticket for any body in 2019″.
Onuigbo had before the State Exco embarked on state-wide tour of projects about three months ago told journalists that the party would subject every aspirant to primaries.
He had also said that PDP had learnt it’s lessons in a hard way following its defeat at the 2015 presidential election despite being the ruling party then, that imposition and impunity have a far-reaching consequences on electoral fortunes.
It is however not unlikely that the party’s sudden change of position might have been arguably influenced by its findings of the Governor’s “giant strides adoning the Abia landscape” even though the opposition doubt the authenticity of such claims.
End
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