*BY RALPH EJIMKONYE, Editor At Large*
With few days to the conduct of its primaries, aspirants in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Imo State have intensified efforts to emerge victorious at the exercise.
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Despite the controversy that trailed the delegates election last week and the confusion that trailed the exercise in some areas, most of the aspirants remain upbeat in their quest to win the primaries.
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Some aggrieved party members who had lost out in the delegates election had stormed the party office along Okigwe road, Owerri and lit bonfires to express their displeasure on the exercise alleging how they were shortchanged.
The uncertainty surrounding the delegates election has not have slowed down the pace of the aspirants as they continue their consultations within the party.
The list of the successful delegates remains unpublished as at the time of filing this report.A top party source said the measure could be aimed at forestalling further crisis if the list does not favour some aspirants.
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The House of Assembly Primaries hold on September 28, 2018 .But the biggest battle is on October 3, 2018 when the governorship primaries will take place at a yet to be disclosed venue.
Two frontliners in the contest namely former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Hon.Emeka Ihedioha and Senator Representing Owerri Zone, Senator Samuel Anyanwu are in a rat race for the party’s governorship ticket. The duo have shown strength and capacity to pick the ticket. Ihedioha emerged the party’s governorship candidate in 2015.
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Others in the contest include Senator Athan Achonu, Prof Jude Njoku and Chukwuma Ekomaru (SAN).
The 3 man ad hoc delegates election had been submerged in controversy with allegations of manipulation of the process. They will be joined by statutory delegates for the primaries. 5 statutory delegates will come from each of the 305 wards of the party.
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A party member, Mr.Lancelot Obiaku had in an open letter to the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, lamented on the conduct of the delegates election which he said may signpost political disaster for the party if acts of imposition are not eliminated
But reports reaching this newspaper indicate that the outcome of the delegates election may have favoured one of the governorship aspirants who from all indications may emerge the party’s governorship candidate.
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