Crisis, hitches rock PDP congress in Oyo, Enugu, others

However, police took over Chief Ken Emeakayi’s secretariat at Udoka Housing Estate in the capital city to ward off any impending disruption from any opposition.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which had earlier written a letter to the National Secretariat of PDP over the leadership crisis, monitored the congresses in all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

INEC had written to the party, recognising the Ejike Oguebego’s leadership of PDP in the state, saying the congress that produced him as chairman of the party sometime ago was the only one the commission monitored in Anambra.

The commission in Awka said the ward congresses of the PDP were conducted without any hitch.

INEC’s Public Relations Officer, Frank Egbo said that the commission’s staff monitored all the wards in the 21 Local government areas of the state.

“INEC is not a member of any political party, what we are doing is in line with INEC’s guidelines and nothing more.

“If PDP has a problem, it does not concern us, we have carried out our own function,” Egbo said.

The State Police Command, however, said it did not seal off PDP office; rather police were there to make sure there was no breakdown of law and order.

The police PRO in the state, DSP Uche Ezeh, said that the issue of sealing off the office should not arise because they wanted a peaceful environment.

The exercise, which started at 10 a.m. was carried out in all the 326 wards in the 21 local government areas and for the first time without fracas.

Meanwhile, the PDP office in Udoka, which housed the Chief Ken Emeakayi’s office, was under lock and key as security operatives took over the entire environment.

Emeakayi’s tenure was said to have ended on Oct. 24, which was said to have been dissolved by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

This reportedly gave way for Ejike Oguebego to take over the leadership of the party in the state.

During the congress, three persons were elected in each of the 326 wards in the 21 local government areas in the state.