PDP

By Chimezie Anaso
The leadership crisis in the Anambra chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was thought to have been resolved after the state’s congress at the party headquarters in Awka on Dec.4, 2017.

The congress was organised by the erstwhile Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led interim National Caretaker Committee (NCC) after a successful ward and local government congresses.

But the Congress Appeals Committee, however, ordered rerun in six local government areas, including, Idemili North, Idemili South, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ihiala and Aguata.

According to the certified true copy of the result sheet from the Dec. 4, 2017 exercise, signed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu and Mr Emeka Obi emerged chairman and secretary respectively.

Other elected officers in the 27-man Executive Committee were Mr Okey Asolo, Deputy Chairman, Dr Chukwunonso Okeke, Mr Francis Udeoba and Marcel Anyaiam Vice-Chairmen, Anambra Central, North and South respectively among others.

Two weeks after their election and as the new State Working Committee was settling down to work, on Dec. 19, 2017, a letter from the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP, signed by Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary sacked it.

The directive rejecting their election came just about 10 days after the new NWC, led by Prince Uche Secondus, was elected at a convention in Abuja on Dec. 10, 2017.

The letter which upheld the ward and local government congresses directed that a Caretaker Committee led by Mr Chukwudi Umeaba “continues to subsist’’ until a state congress is held.

“The NWC of the PDP had on Dec.19, 2017, reviewed the state of our party in Anambra and resolved as follow; that the ward congress declared by the Appeals Committee are upheld.

“That the local government congress declared by the Appeal Committee are upheld and that the state congress will be held at a later date and time to be determined and announced by the NWC.

“That Anambra Caretaker Committee led by Mr Chukwuudi Umeaba continues to subsists and pilot the affairs of the party in the state until state congress hold,’’ it said.

Another letter dated Dec. 19, 2017, and entitled “Re-Report of the Investigation on the PDP Anambra Congresses’’ the PDP also corroborated the resolution of the foregoing letter.

The confusion however is that second letter which was signed by its National Secretary, Sen. Umar Tsauri, directed the South-East Zonal executive of the party to oversee the affairs of the party in Anambra.

It further directed that the state congress should be held in not more than 90 days.

“The NWC critically examined the report of National Vice-Chairman, South-East and decided as follows; to recognise the outcome of ward and local government congresses as determined by relevant electoral and appeals committees.

“To conduct local government congresses in Awka North, Awka South and Idemili North where results were seized and also conduct state congress to elect state executives at a later date and time to be determined by NWC.

“In view of this, the NWC at its meeting held on Dec. 19, 2017, directed that the South-East zonal executives should oversee the affairs of Anambra chapter until congresses are held within 90 days,’’ it said.

In a swift reaction, Mrs Josephine Aneneih, a Board of Trustee (BoT) member and former minister said the congresses from the local government to the state level were conducted conclusively and that state exco was duly elected.

Anneneih, who was the Secretary, Caretaker Committee before the congresses in a letter dated Dec. 20, 2017, called on Secondus to use his good office and uphold the leadership of the party as he inherited it.

According to her, jettisoning the efforts of the outgone Makarfi-led caretaker committee will not portray the party in good light.

“I wish to report that all the congress committees from the ward, led by Amb. Desmond Akawor, to the state led by Prof. Osita Ogbu and the state Congress Appeal Committee led by Chief Tony Omaghe visited Anmabra.

“That they duly conducted the exercises as directed by the National Caretaker Committee of our party, they were all received by me as the caretaker secretary.

“It is clear that the congresses in Anambra were conclusive and that the emergence of Mr Ndubuisi Nwobu as Chairman of the party in Anambra followed the required procedure as directed by the National Caretaker Committee.

“I urge the NWC headed by Prince Uche Secondus, an experienced hand in party administration to uphold the actions carried out by the erstwhile National Caretaker Committee headed by Sen. Ahmed Markarfi as anything to the contrary will not portray the party in good light,’’ she said.

A chieftain of the party in Anambra, Chief Okey Muo-Aroh, said the way forward for the party in the state was a political solution, adding that Anambra PDP had had enough crisis.

Muo-Aroh blamed the action of the national committee on wrong information, saying that those instigating the crisis were detractors who were not comfortable with the newly found peace.

“The people instigating this crisis are those who worked against the party in previous elections; it is unfortunate that we are where we are now because, the NWC are acting on information they were fed with which are not correct.

“A committee set up by the national leadership comprising three governors and headed by Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, met on April 4, in Aninri, Enugu State and we resolved that the exco should stay.

“The Nwobu-led state working committee was duly elected and should be allowed to work, we have had enough crisis in Anambra PDP, let the extant executive be allowed to work.’’

Dr Alex Obiogbolu blamed the situation of Anambra PDP as an aftermath of old days of impunity in the party.

Obiogbolu, who was an aspirant of the party in the Nov. 18 governorship election, said there was a consensus building towards political solution to the quagmire.

He said nobody had declared the congress illegal, adding that the non-conduct of another congress in the state was an indication that the consensus building was on course.

“We are working with the national to reconcile the differences, the issues are being involved and we are working to build consensus, we have had two strategic meetings and they have been successful.

“In spite of being an opposition party in Anambra, the PDP has done well, and since 2019 is around the corner, a lot of people are working behind the scene to resolve the issues.

“To the best of my knowledge, nobody has said the December congresses were illegal or legal,’’ he said.

But a stakeholder who wished not to be mentioned said the Secondus-led NWC did not do due diligence before playing into the hands of those responsible for the electoral misfortunes of PDP in Anambra.

The source said there was need for the party to come out of the quandary it found itself and get its act right ahead of the 2019 general elections.

“It is not late to get back on track, though the party is supreme, it can still reverse itself when it acts in error.

“What I am saying is that, there is no need rejecting the state congress when you see nothing wrong in the ward and local government congresses that led to it.

“I don’t want to believe that the NWC has abandoned us because the 90-day directive for another state congress has elapsed, maybe it’s a sign that the political solution and consensus building is becoming a success,’’ the source said.

Meanwhile, the embattled chairman, Nwobu, has said there was no need for the continued crisis and confusion in the Anambra chapter of PDP.

(NAN)