Crisis Rocks Ebonyi PDP Over Choice Of Health Minister As Elechi's Successor

Source: thewillnigeria.com

SAN FRANCISCO, October 078, (THEWILL) - The announcement Tuesday of the Health Minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, as successor to the Ebonyi State governor, Martins Elechi, in 2015 has thrown the state chapter of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into a major crisis as preparations for the forthcoming general election gather momentum.

Governor Elechi had announced the choice of Onyebuchi Chukwu as the PDP candidate in the 2015 governorship election at a marathon meeting held at the Government House, Abakaliki, the state capital.

The meeting, which was attended by members of the state PDP caucus, lawmakers, stakeholders and youth leaders across the 13 Local Government Areas of the State, was to ratify the zoning of the governorship position to Afikpo North LGA in Ebonyi South Senatorial zone where the Health Minister comes from.

Impeccable sources at the meeting said Elechi, who chaired the meeting, justified the zoning arrangement, saying it was due to the immense contributions of late Dr. Akanu Ibiam, who hailed from Unwana Afikpo LGA , to the creation of the state.

It was however gathered that the choice of Prof. Chukwu did not go down well with thousands of PDP members across the state, especially those with governorship ambition in 2015.

They have therefore perfected plans to defect en masse to the opposition where they can achieve their ambition having been shut out by the PDP.

The expected mass defection is coming on the heels of Friday's defection of a PDP chieftain in the state , Senator Anthony Agbo, to the All Progressive Grand Alliance ( APGA).

Senator Agbo who spoke at a media briefing in his country home in Ohaukwu Local Government Area, said the forthcoming election would spring up lots of surprises as he assured that all government sponsored candidates of the PDP in the forthcoming election in the state would be roundly defeated.