A group within the Peoples Democratic Party, the PDP Action 2023, on Wednesday, said former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, withdrew from the state governorship primary due to unfair, unjust process by the PDP national leadership ahead of the primary.

The group expressed fears that the process of the primary would not be free, fair, and just with the party’s national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, who is also a contender and a supervisory official in the primaries.

Mr Ihedioha in a letter dated March 27, 2023, which was addressed to the office of the PDP National Chairman, announced his withdrawal from the PDP governorship primary in the state.

The group, in a statement by its chairman, Rufus Omeire, said, “In the first place, Ihedioha, who had been a dedicated member of PDP since 1999, was unfairly and unjustly treated by the leadership of the party.

“The National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, had indicated interest in vying for the governorship primaries as he is entitled to, as an indigene of Imo State. However, as a sitting national secretary, it is only proper that he should not supervise the primaries for which he is a contestant.”

The group described as shocking the fact that “Anyawu was himself screened as an aspirant and later on signed the clearance certificate of the successful aspirants, including himself.”

Omeire stated that according to Section 47 (5) of the PDP constitution, the party was required to stipulate in its guidelines, the period of resignation of any national officer seeking elective office.

“The party under the watch of the suspended Ayu refused to do so in order to confer undue advantage to any national officer of the party, to sit tight in office and preside over primaries for which they may be candidates,” the statement read in part.

The group maintained that “the only fair thing for the PDP to do at this stage is to open the process for another credible candidate to join the race in Imo State, if this is not done, Ayu would have succeeded in killing Imo PDP the way he has put PDP national on life support.”