2019: PDP remains party to beat in Abia, says chairman

Chief Johnson Onuigbo, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, has said that PDP remained the party to beat in the state in 2019.
Onuigbo said this on Thursday in Umuahia while briefing journalists on the party’s preparation for a mega rally “to showcase the party’s strength.”
He said that the party would use the rally, slated for Sept. 17, “to tell the entire globe that Abia remains a PDP state.“
“PDP is the only party with functional offices at the ward, local and state levels.
“You hardly see a flag hoisted in any other party secretariat anywhere in the state, there is no life in other parties.
“But here in PDP, our secretariat is always busy. Abia PDP is a living and lively party,” Onuigbo said.
He said that the “deluge of aspirants,” scrambling to purchase the party’s ‘expression of interest forms for the primaries, clearly proved the confidence they had in PDP.
Onuigbo had earlier assured the aspirants of transparent primaries at a stakeholders meeting held recently.
He said, “Recently, the party leadership transversed the 17 local government areas of the state, assuring aspirants that we are poised to conduct free, transparent, fair and credible primaries.
“We shall provide a level playing field for all the aspirants during the primaries.”
He said that all the aspirants “must be subjected to democratic process,” adding that “the era of impunity and imposition of candidates has gone.”
“We will allow everybody to exercise his or her inalienable right to aspire for any political office.”