Senate Minority Leader Abaribe withdraws from Abia governorship contest

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe says he will not be partaking in the Peoples Democratic Party’s primaries taking place on Wednesday.

Abaribe, who is the Senate Minority Leader, said this in a statement he issued.

Abaribe accused the party of creating a level-playing field for all the aspirants vying for elective offices in the state. He blamed the development on the interferences of godfathers.

According to him, the PDP decided to use “only an imaginary 3-man Adhoc delegates”, thereby excluding statutory delegates in the primary elections.

Abaribe  described the process as a “charade”.

“I am therefore not participating in the exercise”, he said. He also said the matter is already before the courts.

“The implication for our party is grave and as such has put all ongoing primary exercises on quick sand.

“I am known for standing firm in defence of my convictions for the right of all people to a free and fair democratic process. That was why my campaign set sail on a democratic journey that took us to all the nooks and crannies of our dear state.

Abaribe said the “ugly developments ignited by a rapacious ambition to maintain the wicked governance status quo of imposition and godfatherism have aborted this quest in PDP.”