Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe Pulls Out From Abia Governorship Race Hours To Primaries

Enyinnaya Abaribe, in a statement on Wednesday, said withdrew from the race because of the use of an “imaginary delegates list and lack of transparency.

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has formally pulled out from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Abia Governorship primaries scheduled to hold on Wednesday.

Enyinnaya Abaribe, in a statement on Wednesday, said withdrew from the race because of the use of an “imaginary delegates list and lack of transparency.

Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe

Senator Abaribe also claimed that the PDP did not hold a three-man delegate election, claiming that the list being circulated was concocted by those seeking to impose their candidates on the party.

He did, however, state that his next political move would be made public soon. According to Abaribe’s statement, “Notice of Non-Participation in the Abia PDP Gubernatorial Primaries. The last couple of weeks has been tortuous as we battled hard to navigate our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) away from a self-destructive path.

“The essence was to create an unfettered democratic space and a level playing field for all aspirants vying for all elective offices in the state, to participate equally in the primary elections.

“That was not the case and of course what we are witnessing is a shambolic process driven by a procured court injunction. To make matters worse, the use of only imaginary 3-man Adhoc delegates to the exclusion of the party’s statutory delegates in the primary elections to elect our candidates even when INEC the nation’s electoral umpire, has unequivocally stated that no congress held in Abia State for that purpose, has no doubt put the party and her candidates in a quagmire.

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

“Accordingly, I Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe will not be part of this charade. I am therefore withdrawing from 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 an endorsement of illegality that is already being challenged in the courts.

“I, therefore, ask all our people, our teeming supporters and Ndigbo to remain calm, keep the faith and wait for the new direction, which will be announced very soon. What is important is that the campaign to liberate Abia State would surely assume a new dimension. The time is now.”

Meanwhile, Senator Nwaka, a leading governorship aspirant from Abia North and former State Chairman of the PDP, stated that he would not participate in the primaries.

He claimed that the conduct of the three-man delegate congress, which he claimed never occurred, violated due process and existing laws.