Senator Ayogu Eze has clinched the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship ticket in Enugu State.
Ayogu was elected in a peaceful election conducted at the Filbon Hotel, Enugu, though another parallel election was on-going.
A total number of 672 delegates were accredited for the election. Eleven votes were declared invalid.
Daily Post correspondent, who was at the venue of the election, reports that Ayogu polled 526 votes, defeating his closest rival, Mr. Chinedu Onu, who got 31 votes.
Evang. Samuel Onyishi came third with 30 votes; Eugene Odo got 25 votes, Onyeke Onyeke, 20 votes, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi got 15 votes while Anayo Onwuegbu polled 10 votes.
In a speech, Senator Eze assured the people of the state that he would bring in rapid transformation.
He said job creation, youth empowerment, security, education, among others, would form priority in his government.
Meanwhile, Senator Eze, Prof Onyeke and Sam Onyishi had during the meeting with the election committee members condemned the list of delegates being used, saying it was not the authentic list that emerged from the Nov 1 ward congresses. The development paved way for the parallel primaries yesterday.
Eze said at the meeting: “It is not possible for me as somebody who know the process of
the law to go and submit myself to illegality. The only option available for me is that I will go to those duly recognized delegates by the courts and the National Working Committee of the party, they are the ones who can actually elect candidates. Any other thing in my own opinion is abuse of the process of the court and our law.
“Therefore, I want to say clearly that I will not be at the stadium where you are going to do your own because I will be committing an illegality, I will be working into a bobby trap knowing that my delegates have been disenfranchised”.
Prof Onyeke described the process as a “nullity”, stressing that it did not conform with law and due process.
He said: “The first one is that the chairman that was addressed as the state chairman is not recognized by the party and court. The man that is recognized as the chairman of the party is Elder David Aja, which means any exercise that is being carried out here without him is illegal, null and void. The observation made by Senator Ayogu is well taken; an election has been held and the people that emerged from the
election are not on the list that came from the National secretariat.
“We have not been addressed on the decision of the court to the effect our chairman has been changed. We have not been told why a delegate will be qualified to elect candidates to our state House of Assembly, qualified to House of Representatives and Senate and is not
qualified to elect candidate for the governorship election.
“That inconsistence from the party is unfair. It is unfair and this is a part people like me has been trying to resuscitate and rehabilitate”.
As at the time of filling this report, the result of the parallel primary being conducted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium is being awaited.
