Ayade unopposed as PDP disqualifies other aspirants

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The Peoples Democratic Party has disqualified two aspirants challenging the reelection bid of Governor Ben Ayade for the party’s ticket in the governorship primary scheduled for Sunday (today).

The two aspirants – Mr Emmanuel Ibeshi and Dr. Paul Udayi – however , rejected their disqualification, saying it was an act of impunity and injustice.

While Ibeshi was disqualified on Saturday, Udayi got a letter from the party’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday informing him of his disqualification.

Both aspirants said no reason was given by the party for the action.

An aggrieved Ibeshi, who addressed journalists in Calabar, said he was earlier cleared to contest the primary by the PDP screening panel which sat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He said, “There is no valid ground for my disqualification, and I have been provided with no such ground. Indeed, there has been no attempt by the PDP to justify or even explain its action in cancelling the clearance certificate earlier issued to me to contest the election.

“I, like other aspirants to the office of governor in the PDP in the South-South geopolitical zone, was screened by the zonal screening committee set up by the party, sitting in Port Harcourt. This committee was given a devious agenda – to disqualify all aspirants contesting the governorship ticket of Cross River State.

“I am ready to contest my disqualification and seek such redress and remedies as are available under the law in this country.”

On the other hand, Udayi had dragged the party before the State High Court over the issue.

Udayi was the first aspirant to pick up the expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the governorship primary in Cross River State from the PDP national secretariat in Abuja.

The defendants in the suit are PDP, the National Chairman of PDP, the Cross River State chairman of the PDP, the Chairman of the Governorship Screening Committee for the South-South geo-political zone, and members of the Governorship Screening Committee for the South-South geo-political zone.

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