Confusion over Anambra PDP congress today

…party leaders to boycott the exercise

DAVID-CHYDDY ELEKE, Awka

Barring any last minute change of mind by some stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, the ward congress scheduled by the national working committee of the party for today may not hold.

This is following the alarm raised by stakeholders of the party over manipulation of the processes by the national publicity secretary of the party; Chief Olisa metuh, who they insisted is bent on foisting leadership on the party, and have been employing several gimmicks.

Stakeholders of the party in the state consisting of Hon Kelue Molokwu, a former deputy speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly; Hon Jessy Balonwu, Basil Ejidike, Ken Arinze, and Chris Okoye among several others, all being foundation members of the party at the state level who addressed a press conference yesterday said Metuh wants to take over the running of the party and has therefore been working to ensure that his minions get the leadership of the party.

The stakeholders of the party insisted that the actions of Metuh were capable of destroying the party, and therefore called on the members of the national working committee of the party to rein in Metuh and also take a better and convenient date for the congresses.

“Metuh was instrumental to the slating of the party’s ward congress for Tuesday next week, after publicizing it just last Thursday”, they said. They said this was done knowing full well that Friday through Monday are public holidays, and aspirants would be unable to access funds to go about the congress.

They said that even though the sales of forms were announced on Thursday, the forms are still lying at the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the party, yet some people favoured by Metuh have had the forms distributed to them by hand, even without payment.

Part of the text distributed to journalists reads, “The timing of the congress is very wrong, especially with the ward congress which is scheduled for Tuesday, bearing in mind that Friday was a public holiday and will remain so until Tuesday.

“We are at a loss where to pick the form, as at this very moment, we are reliably informed that the forms are still lying at the PDP Wadata Plaza, Abuja. We expect that for a congress, a meeting of stakeholders would have predated the congress, but as at this moment, we are yet to know who the congress committees are and everything is shrouded in secrecy.

“What we are saying is that Olisa Metuh is using his power as a member of the NWC to manipulate everything by himself, as we are told from a reliable source in Abuja that NWC does not even know of this, but being masterminded by Metuh.

“We are therefore calling on the national working committee of the party to rein in Olisa Metuh and save this party from collapse and destruction.

Meanwhile, the party has moved to shut out factional chairmen of the party, Mr. Ken Emeakayi and Ejike Oguebego from participating in the coming state congress of the party in the state. Both men have been in a protracted battle over who the real chairman of the party is, leading to factionalisation.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the stakeholders meeting convened by the senator representing Anambra central zone, Senator Uche Ekwunife at Awka on Saturday, the party stakeholders resolved to shut out all the factional chairmen of the party from re-contesting as part of the process of rebuilding the party in the state.

Former special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on party matters, Senator Ben Obi while reading the communiqué said the party faithful have full confidence in Senator Ekwunife to reposition the party and return it to winning ways.

Part of the communiqué read “that we commend our senator, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife for convening this meeting where the affairs of the party are deliberated upon and we resolved that there shall be no factional leaders of the party who will be allowed to take part in the coming state congress of the PDP.”

The PDP stakeholders further said that it is the turn of the Anambra central senatorial zone to produce the state chairman of the party, adding that the zone remains the engine room of the party since its formation many years ago.

Senator Obi who was the chairman of the meeting also received the motion of absolute confidence on Senator Ekwunife moved by Chief Vincent Okafor and seconded by Chief Maxwell Okwudo, and urged all members of the party still in court to challenge the election of Ekwunife to withdraw their suits as the people of the zone unanimously elected her.

In her response, Ekwunife said she called the meeting to thank the stakeholders of the party for their roles during the last general election which saw the party clinching all the senatorial seats in the state and majority of the House of Representatives seats.

She re-assured the people of the zone of her commitment to their welfare through making of beneficial laws that will have direct bearing on the lives of the people of the zone and Nigeria in general.