The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu has emerged as the governorship candidate of the party for the Novembers 11 Imo State Governorship Election.
Bayelsa state governor, Senator Douye Diri also picked the ticket for the PDP in his second term bid.
Off-cycle governorship elections are expected to hold in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states on November 11, 2023.
In Imo, the PDP’s primary was held on Wednesday at its state secretariat along the Okigwe Road in Owerri.
According to the State Organising Secretary of the PDP, Lawrence Biado, the seven-man electoral panel constituted by the National Working Committee headed by Kenneth Okon is present to monitor the primary in Imo.
However, a former Governor of the state, Emeka Ihedioha, was conspicuously absent. Ihedioha had weeks ago pulled out from the PDP governorship race.
Anyanwu is expected to challenge the reelection of Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In January 2020, the Supreme Court sacked Ihedioha as the governor of Imo State after barely seven months in office.
Also in Bayelsa, Diri, who was unopposed polled a total of 305 yes votes from the delegates to emerge as the party candidate at the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, Yenagoa.
The party delegates drawn from the eight local government areas of the state cast their votes to affirm the candidature of Diri as PDP flag bearer.
In his remarks, Diri pledged to lead the party to victory during the election, saying Bayelsa state is totally a PDP state judging from the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections.
He said, “In a democracy, people must be allowed to vote and the votes must count, that is why people of Bayelsa State must ensure that persons with violent tendencies are not enthrone in governance of the state.
“Voting pattern during the just concluded general election showed that Bayelsa State is totally PDP, our government has been able to bring back members who have left our party before to form a united party.
“In the past three years, our government has embarked on several infrastructural projects and prioritize the welfare of civil servants, we will consolidate on what we have on ground already during our second term.
“We will continue to take necessary steps to bring shared prosperity to Bayelsa State and it’s people.”
