Abia PDP ready for LG polls, says Onuigbo

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia

Despite calls by opposition political parties in Abia State for the postponement of the December 17 local government elections in the state, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has announced its preparedness to take part in the election.

Leaders of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the Progressive People Alliance and others had called on the Abia State Independent Electoral Commissioner to shift the polls, saying that the December 17 date was a day they prepared for.

But the Chairman of the party, Chief Johnson Onuigbo, had insisted that his party was ready to contest and win all the 17 LG seats and 292 wards.

Onuigbo announced this in Umuahia, the state capital, while briefing journalists on the party’s readiness to take part in the election.

He said the party would adopt the Option A4 in its Delegate’s Conference to elect its candidates in the election, adding that the party had commenced the sale of form.

He said, “The Abia State Independent Electoral Commissioner had briefed all the political parties in the state of its determination to conduct the much expected local government election.

“Our party’s leadership is prepared to return power to the people. That is why we have started our campaign in the 292 wards in the state.  We will ensure that there is no imposition of candidates at any level.”

He said that the party’s faithful who might be interested in contesting for the position of local government chairmen will have to pay the sum of N500,000 while those running for counsellorship posts will pay the sum of N100,000 to pick their forms, adding that women interested in running as their deputies will pick the forms free.