17 incumbent members of the Abia State House of Assembly lost their re-election bid at the just-concluded primaries by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.The House which has 24 members saw only seven of the incumbents picking return tickets even as no principal officer made it.
When the results of the primaries were announced the results of on Wednesday evening at the party’s Secretariat in Umuahia, PDP Chairman, Abia State, Senator Emma Nwaka, said the party would soon come up with a programme aimed at providing a soft landing for the losers.
He advised them not to attempt dumping the party in protest but to route their grievances through the appeal panel, saying that ” those who switch party randomly have always come to grief.”
According to the result announced by Nwaka, some of the debutants include : the son of Governor, Theodore Orji, Chinedum who clinched the ticket for Umuahia Central constituency; Chukwudi Apugo, Umuahia East; Ex-Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Cosmos Ndukwe, Bende North; and Chima Mgbeke , Umunneochi state constituency.The incumbents include: Hon. Chukwudi Ogele, Isuikwuato ; Emeka Ejiogu, Umuahia North; Dr. Kate Maduako, Aba Central; and the widow of late Iheasimuo , Blessing Iheasimuo for Aba South.It can be recalled that the primaries had been greeted with protests in some constituencies prompting a re-run in four constituencies of Ohafia South, Umunneochi, Bende South, and Isialangwa South on Monday at the Umuahia Township Stadium.
Some aggrieved aspirants have vowed not to accept the result of the primaries in some controversial constituencies, saying that they have already petitioned the appeal panel.
Asked why the result was released late, Nwaka said the delay was not deliberate as the secretariat had been very busy with preparations for the up-coming primaries.His words: ” We have been very busy, and it was not intended to manipulate the result which was handed over to us by the team from Abuja.”
Culled From Punch
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