Governorship ticket: Ihedioha, Anyanwu tear Imo PDP apart

• Published date: 15 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Ahead of the November 2023 gubernatorial election in Imo State, the state's chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is threatened by an outright implosion as the battle for its gubernatorial ticket between two leading chieftains of the party in the state rages, writes 'Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor.

The Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is troubled as a fierce struggle for the control of the structures of the opposition party rages ahead of the November 2023 governorship election in the state. Checks by The Nation revealed that the governorship ambitions of a former Governor the Imo State, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and current National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, are at the centre of the current crisis rocking the party.

In 2018, during the preparations for the 2019 guber election in the state, the two PDP chieftains slugged it out for the party's governorship ticket. The contest was fierce. For months, the party in the state was divided into two groups made up of supporters of the two aspirants. Eventually, Ihedioha emerged winner of the PDP governorship primaries in Imo. He won the contest with a total of 1,723 votes to defeat Anyanwu, who came 2nd with a total of 1,282 votes.

The Imo governorship election will take place on November 6, 2023. The PDP lost the position on January 14, 2020, when the Supreme Court sacked Emeka Ihedioha, and declared Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election. Ihedioha is from Aboh Mbaise, Imo State, while Anyanwu is from Obodo Amaimo, Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state. the two are from the same senatorial district of the state.

The rivalry between the duo is revived ahead of the next gubernatorial election in the state. Current moves by the two camps to outsmart the other are already creating tension within the state chapter of the PDP. There are fears that the division created by the governorship ambitions of the two leading party men may negatively affect the chances of the party in the forthcoming general elections in the state during which the PDP is seeking to displace the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from state and national assembly seats across the state.

As we speak, while Ihedioha enjoys the loyalty of the State Working Committee of the PDP led by Charles Egwu, Anyanwu is in firm control of the Presidential Campaign Committee (PCC) of the PDP in Imo State. Rather than work together for the victory of the party's candidate in...