BY NATIONAL PANEL REPORTERS
The 2023 Ebonyi governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Obinna Ogba, has described as mere distractions following the issues arising from the party's concluded gubernatorial primary in the state.
He confided to the PDP faithful and his supporters that issues arising from the primary election and court pronouncements over who is the valid candidate of the party in the state, were mere distractions.
Ogba, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, said he was poised to ensure that the Ebonyi people witnessed peace and happiness again, adding that the donnybrook over court declarations and counter-rulings were sheer temporal obstacles.
The governorship hopeful stated this in a statement on Wednesday, signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Godfrey Chikwere.
“With utmost regard to your prayers, timely phone calls, and unflinching support to the person of our principal, Senator Obinna Ogba, his political structure, and for your undeterred faith in Ebonyi PDP, we wish to inform you that Senator Ogba is not relenting in his efforts to return happiness and unity of purpose in Ebonyi through his legitimate quest to occupy the number one seat of government in the state come 2023.
“The current event ranging from the primary election to judicial processes is no doubt, a calculated political distraction, but anybody conversant with Senator Ogba’s political trajectory will understand that he has fought, worked, and walked for any of his victory and political position with God and the people as his key focus.
“It is a matter of time and Ebonyi will be happy again,” part of the statement read.
Recall in Ebonyi, that the two governorship hopefuls of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have displayed certificate of returns (CoRs) duly issued to them by the national leadership, thereby causing confusing.
Popular businessman, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, had won the gubernatorial primary on May 29 but the national leadership through its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, cancelled the primary, claiming the panel that conducted the election was not properly constituted.
The party subsequently rescheduled the election for June 5 where a senator representing Ebonyi Central, Obinna Ogba, emerged victorious.
It was gathered that upon his victory from the election of June 5, the national leadership of the party issued Ogba with a certificate of return dated, June 7 as the duly recognised gubernatorial candidate of the party for the 2023 elections in Ebonyi.
But Odii, in a protest, approached a Federal High Court in Abakaliki to challenge the cancellation of his election.
The court in a judgment delivered on June 7 recognised him as the authentic gubernatorial candidate and voided the election won by Ogba.
In an apparent obedience to the judgment of the court, the national leadership of the party, at the weekend, issued Odii with certificate of return.
Odii, in a reaction, said he was ready to work with all the leaders, including his opponents to move the party forward.
However, a source in the party told Daily Sun that “the issue of who is the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Ebonyi has gone beyond the party. It is the court that will finally decide.
“We pray it doesn’t affect the chances of our party in the state,” the source said.
