2023: Ebonyi PDP guber candidate, Ogba picks running mate

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ebonyi State, Senator Obinna Ogba on Thursday named Oliver Osi, a member of the state house of assembly, as his running mate.

Recall that the governorship primary election of the PDP in Ebonyi State, held on 4th and 5th of June 2022, produced Senator Ogba as its candidate.

DAILY POST gathered that there has been a serious crisis rocking the main opposition party, PDP, in Ebonyi State, wherein the party is currently divided into two factions.

One of the factions is loyal to Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, a business mogul, who also emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of PDP, during the 28th and 29th governorship primary election that took place at the party’s secretariat.

Another faction is loyal to Senator Obinna Ogba, who is a senator representing Ebonyi Central senatorial zone in the national assembly.

Odii hails from Ebonyi South senatorial zone while Ogba is from Ebonyi Central senatorial zone of the state.

Ogba, in a statement signed and made available to journalists in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, said his running mate was chosen shortly after a wide-range consultation of the prominent stakeholders of the Party in the state.

He expressed optimism that Osi, who is representing Ivo constituency in the state house of assembly, will add great value to their ticket and vowed to win the 2023 general election in the state.

According to him: “In compliance with section 187 (1) and (2) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the electoral guidelines and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, guidelines, I write to convey my nomination of Dr. Oliver Osi as the deputy governorship candidate of our great party in the forthcoming 2023 general election.

“His nomination is the outcome of detailed and wide-ranging consultation with party stakeholders in the state. I have no doubt that his inclusion will add strong electoral value to our ticket,” he stated.

In a related development, Odii had picked Sen. Paulinus Igwe Nwagu who hails from Ezza North LGA as his own running mate.