Ihedioha withdraws from Imo PDP governorship primary

Former Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, has withdrawn from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship election primary in the state.

Mr Ihedioha disclosed his decision in a letter titled “notification of my withdrawal from the Imo state PDP gubernatorial primaries” addressed to the party national chairman, cited by The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday.

NAN reports that only Mr Ihedioha and the party National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, were screened for the party primary for the PDP ticket.

Mr Ihedioha in the letter said he turned 58 on 24 March and had the cause to reflect on so many things, including the state of PDP.

The former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives said that having been a member since the formation of the PDP in 1998, he aligned himself with the request made by the PDP Imo chapter to the National Working Committee (NWC) for a consensus choice of the candidate regarding the 2023 governorship primary.

“In the interest of harmony and unity of the Party, I have elected to make the personal sacrifice of withdrawing from further participation in the processes leading to the emergence of the gubernatorial candidate.

“This decision was not taken lightly. My commitment to the service of our people has never been in doubt. And I am sure many of those who have, on their own, already started mobilising for me in Imo State will be disappointed.

“I sincerely seek their understanding and that of associates, admirers and particularly the electorates who have over the years aligned themselves and identified with my political aspirations,” Mr Ihedioha said.

Mr Ihedioha, who was sacked as governor in 2020 by the Supreme Court, expressed gratitude for the opportunity given to him to have served in various constituencies both as a legislator and governor.

“I am also proud of the positive impact I made, particularly in the seven months I served as the Governor of Imo State,” he said.

(NAN)