Ebonyi candidates withdraw for PDP

THE Independent Democratic Party (IDP) governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Mrs. Grace Uduma-Eze, yesterday stepped down for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dave Umahi, saying that she took the decision in the interest of the state.

Similarly, the Labour Party (LP) candidate for Ezza South Constituency, Mr. Ken Eze, also dropped his ambition of contesting and decamped to the PDP.

Both of them assured that they would work for the victory of the PDP in April 11 general elections.

In separate briefings with journalists in Abakaliki, the two candidates said that their decisions were taken to enable them support the decision of the people that power should shift to Ebonyi South Zone.

Uduma-eze, who noted that his former opposition party fielded eight House of Assembly members for the April 11, and they have all decided to co-operate and work for the success of PDP at all levels of the contest, said: “All members and executives of the Independent Democrats have agreed to join forces with the PDP. All our political machinery have been mobilised and deployed to increase the electoral fortunes of the PDP governorship candidate, Chief Dave Umahi on Saturday April 11 governorship election.”

She stressed that her decision was borne out of her commitment to ensure that the original plan of power shift to the south was not truncated, as her formal party believes in equity, justice and fairness and would work assiduously to ensure total victory for the ruling party.

The former governorship candidate said that her decision to support Umahi was a unanimous one, taking after due considerations with various arms of the IDP hierarchy, party executives, candidates, members and stakeholders.

According to Eze: “I have realised that going ahead to contest election under LP will contradict with the interest of the generality of Ebonyi people.

He said he declared his support for Umahi believing that it would strengthen the “ties of brotherhood and peaceful co-existence between the people of North, Central and South zone of Ebonyi State.”

The two decampees, therefore, called on their supporters to vote for Umahi and all PDP candidates.