Chinedum Orji, Abia speaker, clinches PDP house of reps ticket

Chinedum Orji, speaker of Abia state house of assembly, has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) house of representatives ticket. 

The PDP held its state house of assembly and house of representatives primaries across the country on Sunday.

Orji, a lawmaker representing Umuahia central constituency in the Abia state house of assembly, is seeking to represent Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency in the house of representatives.

Tony Mezie, chairman of the election committee, who announced the result on Sunday evening, said Orji won the poll with 86 votes to defeat five other contestants — Obi Aguocha, Chidebere Nwachukwu, John Nwadinobi, John Ndubuisi and Kelechi Onuzuruike.

The returning officer added that 99 delegates voted in the Ikwuano/Umuahia north/Umuahia south federal constituency election.

On the other hand, Ugochukwu Uchegbu, a cleric, won the PDP’s ticket to represent Umuahia central constituency in the Abia state house of assembly.

Uchegbu trounced eight other hopefuls in the race.

In his remarks, Uchegbu said the election was “peaceful and most transparent”.

“This is just a step. It is a motivation. There is no vanquished. My co-contestants have congratulated me and I urge them to support me as we move on,” he said.

Meanwhile, the governorship hopefuls and chieftains of the PDP in Abia have rejected the delegates’ list used for the primaries.

In a statement dated May 20, 2022, the governorship hopefuls said no ward congresses were conducted in the state, hence the delegates’ list is a “nullity”.