May 1, 2022

Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze and Hon. Cosmas Ndukwe have been identified as the two Presidential aspirants disqualified on Friday by the Screening Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the party primary election later this month.

Though the PDP did not give reasons for their disqualification, but party insiders said their disqualification was justified on the basis of lack of loyalty and disobedience to basic party rules and principles.

Recall that Cosmas Ndukwe had sued PDP on the issue of zoning even when the party was yet to take a decision of the matter. Ndukwe, a former Deputy Speaker of Abia state House of Assembly had approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the suspension of the party’s May 28, 2022 convention on the failure of the PDP to zone the Presidency to the South.

Taking the party to court, according to an insider counted against Ndukwe at the screening.

Dr. Anakwenze, a medical doctor and Chairman of the  Diaspora Igbo group, the Igbo World Assembly, IWA, was said to have issues with his documentation which was interpreted as not regular with information from his ward. He stands a chance to win if he appeals, says a source close to the Committee.

Meanwhile, the PDP has said that  only its national chairman and the national secretary are vested with power to authenticate party membership cards.

The party made the clarification in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba in Abuja on Saturday.

The party stated this while making clarification on the membership eligibility to participate in congresses to elect the three-man ad hoc delegates who shall in turn elect party candidates for the 2023 general elections.

It stated that the clarification became necessary following reports of misinterpretation in some chapters, particularly in Lagos State, where some party stakeholders are reportedly demanding that membership cards have to be authenticated.

It stated that the stakeholders were reportedly demanding that membership cards had to be authenticated by ward chairmen before the holders were eligible to participate in the three-man ad hoc congresses schedule for Saturday, April 30.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the only authority vested with the power to authenticate party membership cards for eligibility to participate in congresses, including the three-man ad hoc delegate congresses, are the national chairman and the national secretary through their signatures on the cards.

“The PDP Constitution 2017 (as amended) in Chapter 2, Part 1, Article 8(7) is clear in providing that “the membership card shall be produced by the National Headquarters and authenticated by the National Chairman and the National Secretary.”

The party said that PDP members holding membership cards duly authenticated by the national chairman and national secretary did not require any further authentication.

“No further authentication is required by ward chairmen or any other officer of the party at any level whatsoever before they can participate in the three-man ad hoc delegate congresses and party primaries.

“A member with a duly authenticated membership card by the national chairman and national secretary and who is up to date in his financial obligation to the party shall be eligible to participate and vote in the three-man ad hoc delegate congress.”