The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and spokesperson for the Coalition of Political Parties, Ugochinyere Imo, have clashed over the crisis involving the three-man ad hoc delegates election of the PDP in Imo State.
Imo, while briefing journalists in Owerri, accused Anyanwu of plotting to hijack the ad hoc delegates congress in the state which was not conclusive on Saturday.
According to Imo, who is aspiring to emerge as the PDP candidate for Ideato South/ Ideato North Federal constituency of Imo State for the election, Anyanwu was working against the interest of the party in the state.
Imo said the national secretary was not legally a legitimate member of the party and ought not to be holding such a exalted position in the main opposition party.
He said that the explusion of Anyanwu from the party by his Amaimo ward in the Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state was still subsisting.
Imo therefore called on the National Executive Committee of the party convey a National Working Committee meeting to remove Anyanwu as National secretary and make the national deputy secretary of the party the acting national secretary.
In his response, the national secretary of PDP accused Imo of being sponsored by known moles in the party to dent his image.
A statement issued by Anyanwu’s spokesperson, Ikenna Onuoha, in Owerri, stated that Imo himself was not a member of the PDP.
The statement read, “Today, one Ikenga Ugochinyere, a House of Representatives Aspirant in Imo State held a press conference to talk on his involvement in the gang up to blackmail the National Secretary of People’s Democratic Party, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu.
“His reaction was coming at the heels of revelation by the Coordinator of Imo PDP Concerned Youths, Barr Kelechi Onyeukwu that Ikenga Ugochinyere and his cohorts are seriously scheming to malign the PDP National Scribe.
“Our concern is not to join issues with him and his co-travelers, but the rationale behind his decision to be economical with the truth as to state his role in the plot to blackmail Senator Anyanwu. As a man on a mission to dent Senator Anyanwu’s image, Ikenga Ugochinyere decided to keep the public on suspense, and rather called for the removal of the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
“Ikenga Ugochinyere claimed that Senator Anyanwu is not a member of PDP after his failed expulsion hence, should not continue to hold his position as National Secretary of PDP. The truth of the matter is that Ikenga Ugochinyere, who claims to be the opposition spokesperson ones told Nigerians that he belongs to all political parties in Nigeria other than the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“That this statement means is that Ikenga Ugochinyere is a member of APGA, SDP, and YPP, and known opposition parties. The question left for Ikenga Ugochinyere to answer is; at what point did he join PDP to have the moral ground to speak for the party?
“As an aspirant, Ikenga Ugochinyere should subject himself to the party rules and regulations like other contestants rather than presenting himself above the party organ and thinking that he will secure the party without due process.
“For calling for the removal of the National Secretary of PDP, Ikenga Ugochinyere has shown the world that he is a bad loser, who rabble rouses on every issues that are beyond him.
“A man who was accused of mobilizing some dangerously looking youths suspected to be cultists to harass, intimidate and abuse members of committee constituted by the National leadership of PDP to conduct ad-hoc delegate congress in the state should be immediately arrested and prosecuted.
“Ikenga Ugochinyere should be fair to tell the world why he was arrested by the DSS, and why he has become a regular court visitor if not for act inimical to the society.”
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the PDP has denied accusation that the electoral panel members who came to supervise the three man ad-hoc delegates Congress were held hostage.
The PDP chairman in the state, Charles Ugwu, in a press conference in Owerri, the state capital, disclosed that the result sheets of the inconclusive Congress was deposited with State Security Service in the state for save keeping.
He said “We invited you today to keep you abreast of the progress made so far with regard to the conduct of our Ward Congress to elect the three ad hoc delegates which began yesterday. This is in keeping with our tradition of openness, public accountability and inviolable internal democratic principle.
“In line with the provisions of our Party Constitution and Guidelines for the conduct of primaries, the PDP in Imo State, yesterday, April 30th, 2022 prepared and mobilized our members for congresses at the 305 electoral Wards of the State. What, however, is to be noted is that the five-man Electoral Panel for the Ward Congress, sent by the PDP National Secretariat to conduct the exercise did not come with the complete result sheets. Meanwhile, the exercise had almost been concluded in most wards where the option of consensus or harmonization was reached.
“It is curious to note, that out the twenty-seven Local Government Areas, result sheets displayed by the Panel were twenty-five – for 25 LGAs. While those of Ideato North and Ideato South could not be found and there was no explanation as to their disappearance.
“This inexplicable disappearance of the result sheets consequently raised a very serious question about the integrity of the team from our National Secretary and indicated that the process was already obviously compromised.
“This necessitated the critical stakeholders to resolve to allow the Department of State Services (DSS) in Owerri to take custody of the results since the exercise could not proceed as planned with incomplete result sheets.
“However, when we got to the DSS office today and duly retrieved the result sheets, we were embarrassed that contrary to our earlier decision, the Electoral Panel Members refused to bring the materials to the State Party Secretariat. They instead planned to jet out to Abuja with the result sheets. This sinister plot was resisted by officers and members of Imo State PDP, who once again called for the intervention of the DSS, which in its magnanimity accepted to continue keeping the result sheets in its custody.
“So, till this moment, the DSS is still with the result sheets for the twenty-five Local Government Areas while the missing two have not yet been found. The exercise therefore remains inconclusive.
“The worries which the public has expressed over this development is understandable and appropriate, too. It simply demonstrates the popular faith in our party and the unwavering eargeness of the people to come out en masse to vote the PDP into power in Imo next year, given the urgency to salvage the state from the barbarous clutches of maladministration, waste, insecurity, infrastructural decay and overall ruinous misrule.
“We wish to urge the National Working Committee of our Party to step in and address this challenge, so as to restore confidence in the internal democratic processes of our party.”
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