Chief Linus Ukachukwu, a stakeholder in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, has raised the alarm that the party has been highjacked.

This was even as Senator Stella Oduah, a governorship aspirant, threatened to withdraw from the race, alleging irregularities in the build-up to the primary election.

Ukachukwu told reporters in Abuja on Friday that some PDP governors in other states had taken over the affairs of the party in an "undemocratic manner."

He alleged that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his Ekiti State counterpart Ayodele Fayose had altered the results of the recent convention which elected three delegates ahead of the primary election.

Ukachukwu said: “The party just survived the recent legal tussle and the (Ahmed) Makarfi-led caretaker committee affirmed as the national entity to run the party, and things are moving on well now.

“The only problem we have now is that some of the incumbent PDP governors have high jacked the party.

“The election is coming up in November but there is a very serious problem."

He recalled that the caretaker committee set up a panel led by former Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana to conduct the election of delegates but Gana was removed midway through his assignment. "Upon our enquiry, we discovered that it was these same Governors that removed him," replacing him with Senator Biodun Olujimi.

Ukachukwu further alleged: “Governors Wike and Fayose went to Anambra and called for meeting of the stakeholders and the contestants and election was held.

“The Governors left in the middle of the election, the secretary continued and the result of the election was sent to Abuja.

“Unfortunately, after submitting the result, Wike went to the party office last night and changed the result that was submitted.

“That is a very big problem now and with this you will know that the right candidate may not emerge and it is a problem for the primaries."

Ukachukwu said that the party had zoned the governorship ticket to Anambra North, which is where Oduah and four other aspirants come from.

He said that in order to respect the will of the party, his younger brother Nichcolas Ukachukwu, who was interested in running for governorship, had to shelve his interest because he is from the South.

He added that if nothing was done about the forceful alteration of result and the wrong candidate emerged, such candidate might not get the support of party stakeholders.

“We have the largest followers in Anambra, that is the Ukachukwu Campaign Organisation. And if you do not do things through the right process it will be hard for you to get our support.

“You cannot come from Rivers State and Ekiti State and tell me who will be governor in Anambra, where we have spent billions of Naira.

“However, we will not leave the PDP because of this; their plot will capsize and the PDP in Anambra will come out strong," he declared"

Meanwhile, Oduah, while briefing newsmen on Friday in Abuja, said that the ward congress held on Wednesday to elect three delegates per ward was fraught with “irregularities and sabotage.”

According to her, as if the case of hijacking was not enough, the ultimate result of the ward congress, which was submitted by the Secretary of the panel, was switched for a "doctored result."

“The exercise violated all known principles of democratic practice. Several complaints have continued to trail the exercise as most party faithful are disgruntled and agitated,” Oduah said.

She disclosed that she had petitioned Makarfi, the National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, over the matter, and threatened to withdraw from the primary if the party failed to address the problem.

“Based on the above, I wrote to notify the Chairman of my protest and intention to withdraw from the 2017 gubernatorial primaries in Anambra if the party fails to address the issues presented.

“This is because the approach employed for the party primary is not aimed at winning election.

“The implication of this is to subject loyal party faithful to stressful and rancorous primary to weaken and sap the strength of candidate that will emerge from the exercise.

"It should be recalled that this has been the reason our party has been losing gubernatorial elections in Anambra,” she said.

The lawmaker claimed that only few members of the party in state, including herself remained faithful during the party's turbulence that led to litigations at the national level.

“There is no doubt that our party has undergone a torturous battle. Along the line, many of our members dropped and a lot others left the mainstream party.

“To the glory of God, some faithful members remained loyal and determined to see to the end of the crisis.

“At some point, I became the only Senator elected on the platform of our great party in state, but myself and a few elders kept the flag flying until today that the party regained its glory.

“It was in view of this that the elders of the party in my state encouraged me to step forward to lead the party in the upcoming gubernatorial election of November 18,” she said.

Oduah warned that the approach being adopted in the state would not reward party loyalists or guarantee election victory.

The aspirants on PDP platform are Dr Alex Obiogbolu, Oduah, Mr Oseloka Obaze, Mr John Emeka, Dr Patrick Ubah, Mr Akolisa Ufodike and Ms Lynda Ikpeazu.

•Based on NAN reports

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