The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has suspended Andy Ubah, a serving senator and four other members of the faction of the party in Anambra State following their refusal to honour an invitation to appear before its National Working Committee, NWC, to defend their actions.

Others suspended members include factional chairman of the Anambra chapter of the party, EjikeOguebego, Chris Ubah, brother to the senator, Benji Udeozor, and Tonia Nwankwu.

A statement announcing their suspension which was signed by the party’s acting national secretary, Remi Akintoye, was addressed to all five men.

The decision of the party’s leadership to suspend them followed a meeting of the NWC where the events of the Anambra state primaries were reviewed.

Two separate elections were held in the state last Saturday – one by the Ken Emeakayi – faction and the other by the Oguebego-led faction, producing   Andy Ubah and Tony Nwoye as winners.

However, the party’s leadership has given recognition to Nwoye as the party’s flag bearer for the November 16 gubernatorial election in spite of a Federal High Court ruling to disregard the results of the elections until it determines a case filed before it.

The PDP’s acting national publicity secretary, Tony Okeke stated that the only governorship primary election recognised by the party was the primary election conducted by the electoral panel under the leadership of Ibrahim Shema, governor of Katsina State and  that holding any other election is a clear breach of the party’s constitution and would not be tolerated.

An invitation to the Ubah brothers and others to explain the holding of a parallel primary was ignored, leading to their suspension.