2019: "We will all Defect to APC if..." - Ikpeazu's Commissioner & Close Ally Warms Secondus

Chief Charles Ogbinna, a close ally and commissioner in Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s government has sent a strong warning to the Uche Secondus led PDP NEC that any attempt to give automatic tickets to serving lawmakers in the state will spell doom for the party.

There are unconfirmed report making the rounds that the PDP has allegedly concluded plans to issue automatic tickets to interested Federal lawmakers across the country under the party.

IGBERE TV investigations reveal that this development is already causing ripples within the party. Major leaders and stakeholders of the party across the nation not favourable to the alleged plan have kicked against it and warned that it would spell doom for the party if the NEC goes ahead with the alleged plan.

They warned that such action would just be “an open and deliberate action to kill PDP in all the states the party is in control”, saying that the race should be left open to all interested aspirants.

In Abia state, the alleged decision of the NEC is already causing ripples among aspirants who have already purchased forms as well as party leaders and stakeholders who said they would resist such decision.

While confirming the allegation to Vanguard, a strong leader of the party in Abia State, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya said the party in the state has heard of the rumour and warned that “it just remains a rumour”. Ogbonnaya wondered if the party was going back to its days of impunity that cost it power in 2015 and urged the NEC led by Prince Uche Secondus not to succumb to any threat or intimidation from any quarters and go ahead with such action, saying the party would pay dearly for it.

“I wish the rumour remains a rumour. If the NEC tries it, we will all defect to APC or APGA and leave the party for them and that will be the end of PDP in Abia. “We said that we have reformed and we must show it by our decisions and actions. The NEC should not succumb to any intimidation from any quarters to give automatic ticket to any person. Let all of them go to the field and test their popularity and acceptance, otherwise the party would be in big trouble.

“Let us not be deceived. Whoever wants to serve the people should come down to his people to test his acceptance with the people he wants to serve.

“The NEC should learn a big lesson from the mistake of 2015. We should not repeat such a mistake. A stitch in time saves nine. Some aspirants have got their forms and somebody is talking of automatic ticket to some people. That will not work.”

“Let all of them go to the field and test their acceptance at the primary elections. What the party should do is to insist on the conduct of fair and credible primaries for all the aspirants so that whoever wins will clearly be seen to have won and the people will vote for such person”, Ogbonnaya, a serving commissioner and renowned grassroots politician, said.