Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki

A youth group in Ebonyi State, the Unwuekumenyi Youths Assembly, has rejected automatic tickets purportedly being offered to the serving members of the National Assembly from their zones by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2019 general elections.

They youths rejected the purported action of the party, describing same as anti-democratic which is capable of destroying the peace and unity in their people as well as causing crisis in the PDP.

Umuekumenyi comprised eight local government areas in Ebonyi Central and North senatorial zones of the state occupied by the people of Ezza Ezekuna, Izzi Nnodo, Ikwo Noyo, and partly Ishielu and Ohaukwu.

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The position of the youths was contained in a statement signed by the President of the group, Mr. Orogwu Sunday, and five other leaders and issued to newsmen, in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.

The youths said that they were displeased that their other prominent sons and daughters in the PDP, who equally qualified for these positions have, by the action of the party, been shut out from the contest.

They said that their decision to kick against the party’s position became imperative in order to save the party from imminent implosion and defeat that might follow it in next year’s general elections.

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The group’s statement read, “In Ebonyi North zone, we abhor the issue of automatic ticket to our representatives in the National Assembly.

“As the youths and representatives of our people, we shall continue to resist any attempt to render our people politically impotent.

“We call on the national leadership of the party to hold the proponents of the so called automatic tickets responsible for the imminent defeat of PDP in Ebonyi State in 2019.

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“It should be noted that the so-called automatic ticket in Abakaliki bloc is a mere ploy by some unscrupulous political elements to deny the two populous groups namely: Ezza and Izzi access to power so that minority group will continue to dictate the pace of politics especially as it concerns the 2023 gubernatorial election in Ebonyi State”, the statement added.

The group, however, commended Governor David Umahi for reportedly withdrawing the automatic  tickets issued to two members of the House of Representatives (names withheld), describing the governor’s action as ‘healthy for democracy’.

They, therefore, appealed to him to extend the same gesture to all the federal constituencies in Abakaliki bloc in the interest of the people of the area who defied all odds to vote for the PDP in the 2015 governorship election in the state.