A’Ibom PDP kicks off race for 2023 general elections

…1018 delegates to elect 26 AKHA, 10 Reps, 3 Senatorial, Guber candidate in A’Ibom
…Only elected 3 Ad-hoc delegates per ward, 1 National Delegate per LGA to vote at primaries – Party clarifies
By Dan Etokidem
The defining moment is here once again as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Akwa Ibom State will on Sunday, May 22, 2022, begin the political process of consolidating her stronghold on the political landscape, a tradition it has maintained since 1999 with the conduct of the House of Assembly and House of Representatives primaries.
In a release signed by the party’s National Organizing Secretary, Hon. Umar M. Bature, the party directed that going by the letters and spirit of Section 84(? of the Electoral Act, 2022, “delegates to vote at the Indirect Primaries and National Convention to elect candidates for elections shall be those democratically elected for that purpose only”.
Based on the provisions, Hon Bature noted that those qualified and eligible to vote as delegates in the forthcoming PDP Primaries and National Convention are the three (3) Ad-Hoc delegates per ward, elected at the Ward Congresses and one (1) National Delegate per Local Government, elected at the Local Government Area Congresses.
In Akwa Ibom, only 1018 delegates comprising of the 987 Adhoc delegates elected during the April 30, 2022 Ad-Hoc delegates congress and the 31 National delegates elected during the Local Government Congresses will vote to elect the next PDP Governorship candidate on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.
The primary is expected to kick off on Sunday, May 22, 2022. While the House of Assembly primaries is scheduled to hold from 8:00am to 12 noon, the House of Representatives Primaries is billed to commence from 2:00 pm and the exercise which will hold simultaneously across the State and Federal Constituencies will witness the emergence of 26 House of Assembly and 10 House of Representatives candidates who will fly the party’s flag in the 2023 general elections.
In Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, the PDP House of Assembly primaries will take place in Abak, Etim Ekpo/Ika, Oruk Anam and Ukanafun, Essien Udim, Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara, Ini, and Ikono State Constituencies.
Similarly, in Eket Senatorial District, the primary will be holding to elect flagbearers for Eket, Esit Eket/Ibeno, Onna, Mkpat Enin, Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo, Oron/Udung Uko, Mbo, Urue Offong/Oruko and Okobo State Constituencies.
Also, in Uyo Senatorial district, PDP aspirants will be battling for delegates votes to emerge as House of Assembly candidates for Uyo, Itu, Ibiono, Ibesikpo, Uruan, Nsit Atai, Nsit Ibom, Nsit Ubium and Etinan State Constituencies.
In a related development, the House of Representatives race will witness candidates slugging it out to clinch the party’s ticket for the Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency, Abak Etim Ekpo Ika Federal Constituency, Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency, Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency and Itu/Ibiono Federal Constituency.
Also, the battle for who will emerge as the PDP flagbearer for the House of Representatives will witness aspirants struggling for delegates votes to emerge as candidates for Uyo Federal Constituency, Etinan Federal Constituency, Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo Federal Constituency, Eket Federal Constituency as well as Oron Federal Constituency.
The exercise will on Monday, May 23, 2022, culminate in the party’s Senatorial primaries in the three Senatorial districts of Ikot Ekpene, Uyo and Eket while the Governorship primaries is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
In line with constitutional provisions and the 2022 Electoral Act, as well as INEC’s Guidelines for the Conduct of Primaries and Nomination of Candidates by Political Party’s, all the primaries to be conducted will be monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, accredited observers and the media, after which delegates from the state will join their counterparts from 35 other States and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja to elect the party’s presidential candidate on Saturday, May 28, and Sunday, May 29, 2022.