Anambra 2017: Oduah Threatens To Withdraw From Race
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – Senator Stella Oduah, an aspirant on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s platform for the November 18 Anambra governorship election, on Friday threatened to withdraw from the race, citing “irregularities and sabotage” during the recently concluded Party’s Ward congress in the state.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja, she alleged that results of the ward congress submitted to the Secretary of the panel was doctored, as the “exercise violated all known principles of democratic practice”.
To ensure justice, the Senator told journalists that she has already petitioned the National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, vowing that she would withdraw from the primary if the party failed to address her complaints.
According to her, “Based on the above, I wrote to notify the chairman of my protest and intention to withdraw from the 2017 gubernatorial primaries in Anambra if the party fails to address the issues presented.
“This is because the approach employed for the party primary is not aimed at winning election. The implication of this is to subject loyal party faithful to stressful and rancorous primary to weaken and sap the strength of candidate that will emerge from the exercise.
“It should be recalled that this has been the reason our party has been losing gubernatorial elections in Anambra.”
Describing her continued stay in the PDP as a testimony of her abiding faith in the party, she lamented that some prominent figures of the PDP have left the party.
“To the glory of God, some faithful members remained loyal and determined to see to the end of the crisis. While some states were hard hit, the impact on others was light. In many states, members of the party were abandoned to their fate like orphans.
“This is particularly so where we have governors at the hem of affairs who are in the opposition. In such case, the burden of managing the state chapter of our party fell on few elders and some parliamentarians elected on the platform of the party”, she said.
Other aspirants on the PDP platform include, Dr Alex Obiogbolu, Mr Oseloka Obaze, Mr John Emeka, Dr Patrick Ubah, Mr Akolisa Ufodike and Ms Lynda Ikpeazu.