PDP group in Abia State, has accused the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Party of deliberately neglecting and sabotaging the party in Abia as part of grand plots with an opposition party in the state and a member of the party’s Board of Trustees to destroy the party.
Peoples democratic Party (PDP) group in Abia State, the Rebranded Abia PDP Forum, has accused the National Chairman, Amb Iliya Umaru Damagun, National Working Committee (NWC) of the Party of deliberately neglecting and sabotaging the party in Abia as part of grand plots with an opposition party in the state and a member of the party’s Board of Trustees to destroy the party.
The group which was at the Wadata House National Secretariat of the party on Monday to submit a protest letter to the Chairman and other members of the NWC, expressed shock that more than two months after some members of the party who were sponsored by known party chieftains obtained a court injunction against the former State Working Committee and the conduct of the State Congress of the party in the state, no efforts whatsoever have been made to constitute a caretaker committee to supervise the affairs of the party pending the exhaustion of the court processes.
Speaking to newsmen after submitting the letter, a former Commissioner for Information; Trade & Investment in the state, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, expressed dismay that the party leadership in Abuja has not been supporting the state chapter of the party and appears to be playing a script aimed at polarizing and paralysing the party.
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He said: “For more than 10 months after Hon Aaron Uzodike of PDP was declared winner of the Aba North State Constituency election, the Governor Alex Otti-led government and the Labour Party in Abia State did everything to frustrate his inauguration. We were therefore locked in a serious battle with Governor Otti and members of Labour Party to ensure that Hon Aaron Uzodike was inaugurated as ordered by the courts. Despite this long battle, we did not receive any support from the NWC of our party even after repeatedly briefing them on the matter.
“Not even a single press statement came from the NWC to condemn the Governor’s despotic action and join us to pressure him to do the right thing. And as if that was not enough, it is now more than two months since some fifth columnists were sponsored to obtain a court injunction against the party’s congress in Abia. Unfortunately, the NWC has not deemed it fit to constitute a caretaker committee since then thereby leaving the party to float without leadership.
“We wish to bring it to your notice that LGA elections in Abia State have been scheduled for November with party primaries expected to commence Tuesday, September 24, yet PDP members in the state are unable to obtain nomination forms and contest due to the absence of a constituted leadership. We find thus both strange and worrisome.
“Whereas PDP remains the strongest political party in Abia State with 12 elected members in the State House of Assembly, and National Assembly members, it has no SWC. At the moment, there is even no known effort by the NWC to vacate the obnoxious court injunction, and also punish the infiltrators who took the party to court for not first utilizing the internal conflict resolution mechanisms of the party, in line with our constitution. Instead, all we hear from the rumor mill is that there are members of the NWC and BOT involved in the destabilization agenda.”
While delivering the letter which was endorsed by party chieftains from the three senatorial districts of the state, including Christopher Enweremadu (Abia Central) and Kingsley Nna (Abia South), Okiyi as a PDP chieftain from Abia North called for unity of purpose within the party to ensure that the party wins all future elections in the state. Continuing, he said, “Our party can easily win all elections in the state because we remain the only party with structures across the state and members who know how to win elections based on experience over the years. Let the NWC do its job and allow us do the rest otherwise they should all bear responsibility for the looming total disintegration of the party in the State. We won’t hesitate to put all their names in our hall of shame, if they don’t act expeditiously.”
He further called on the National leadership of the party to immediately constitute a caretaker committee to conclude the Congress of the party and carry out the functions of the state working committee pending the inauguration of a new state working committee.