Imo State Chapter of the Peoples Drmocratic Party,appears to be heading for a fresh round of crisis following widespread allegations of manipulations that have trailed the recently held House of Representatives Primary election of the party.
Aggrieved party sources alleged that the House of Reps primary election was manipulated by the state party leadership in the state led by Hon Austin Nwachukwu to favour their “boys”.
According to the party members, as they were directed by the leadership of the party, on Saturday, May 16, 2026, delegates of the party had trooped to the venues, where the election was sheduled to be held in the various Federal Constituencies in the state, to vote for aspirants of their choice.
However, they alleged that in some voting centres, for instance the Ngor Okpala/ Aboh Mbaise Voting Centre, iwhat transpired left them dumbfounded, disappointed, and wondering whether the party had learnt anything from the many icrises that have rocked it in recent years, a good number of which stemmed from political conducts like the one played out in the House of Reps primary election.
Some of the prospective voters in the centre who spoke under condition of anonymity revealed that they arrived early to the venue and waited expectantly and patiently for hours, for the arrival of the electoral officials, to enable them cast their vote.
However, to their greatest shock, frustration, and disappointment, after waiting for hours all their efforts were nonsense of by the electoral officer, who instead of allowing voting to take place, only for him to just read out what they alleged was a pre written result, zooming off immediately after reading out the result.
The frustrated and outraged party delegates who could not hide their frustration over what they alleged was a daylight robbery, wondered why they were brought out to the venue since the party leadership under knew very well they had no intention of conducting a clean primary election, reflecting fairness, transparency, and credibility.
It was gathered that apart from the voters the alleged manipulation what transpired in the exercise, also rankled with some aspirants who have not only refused to accept the outcome, but also to fight with all legitimate means available to them to stop the party leadership from getting away with the alleged electoral fraud. This stance was already raising concerns about the posdible descent into another round of crisis by the party.
Political observers have since weighed in on the matter, noting that the allegation of manipulation and rigging of the party’s House of Reps nomination primary, was not only another pointer to the fact that, the party has learnt nothing from the many life threatening crises, that have reduced it to a spent force, but also that it lacks the moral fibre to criticize the ruling party.
They also say it shows that Imo PDP is not working towards winning elections in the 2027 elections, pointing out that if they were doing that, they would not have taken the path of foisting unpopular candidates who don’t have the political capital that winning elections require.
