From Steph Clem, Umuahia
Abia state chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Senator Emma Nwaka has appealed to all the 160 aspirants of the state legislature to search their conscience and ensure that they have presented authentic credentials and documents about them in order not to lose any seat to other parties.
The chairman who stated this while addressing the aspirants at the party secretariat in Umuahia said any aspirant who knows he had submitted documents he was not sure of should in the interest of the party withdraw from the race before the primaries on Saturday.
According to senator Nwaka, it will be painful for any aspirant to emerge as the flag bearer and at the end of the day lose the election to some others “who would come through the back door”.
“no one goes to war with a wounded person, so if you know you have issues about your papers, please withdraw from the race now”, he said.
He further enjoined the aspirants to eschew violence and the use of threats in the course of their campaign and instead adopt issue based campaigns, saying that the primaries should not be seen as a do or die affair.
He reminded them that beyond elections, there could be other positions that a party faithful can occupy after losing in an election , adding that they should also have it at the back of their minds that there is also possibility that they can lose to someone.
The chairman assured them of a level playing ground for all aspirants as the party is not adopting any “return-return” measure as was the case in 2011.
He said the party’s guidelines will be used for the primaries without any form of deviation.
Some of the aspirants asked questions on their concerns about the primaries such as the delegates list and centres for the primaries which were answered by the chairman.
Engr. Chinedum Orji on his part, pointed out that the aspirants should be sure of their popularity before anything and added that since politics is localised, they should have also met with their stakeholders to reach an agreement.
He like many others insist there will not be automatic ticket for any incumbent legislator.
