Assistant Editor (South East), CHRISTIAN NWOKOCHA, looks at the fate of opposition political parties in Imo.
While other political parties have virtually fizzled out, having totally lost out in the last general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are working hard to sustain opposition politics in Imo State. The two parties lost to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election in the state. APC fielded Governor Rochas Okorocha. PDP’s candidate was immediate past Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, while Emmanuel Iheanacho flew the APGA flag in the election.
In apparent bid to strategise, APGA, on Saturday, May 23, had its state congress, leading to the emergence of new leaders expected to drive the party to victory in the next election. At the ceremony, Peter Ezeobi, who emerged chairman, remarked that the present officers of the party in the state “have the burning desire” to transform the party for future political challenges.
While APGA had concluded its congress and looks set for the task ahead, PDP state executive has been operating on a caretaker committee basis under the leadership of Nnamdi Anyaehie.
The party, however, has some internal issues to address. Obviously dissatisfied with its poor outing in the governorship election in the state and suspecting that the activities of some of its members may have led to the development, the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party passed a resolution to expel some of her members for allegedly engaging in what was described as gross anti-party activities.
These include Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Jerry Chukwueke, Humphery Anumudu, Gibson Njemanze, Cyril Amako, Charles Amadi (Chavon), Kinsley Ononuju, Ethelbert Okere, Jones Uzoka, Nkem Nwankwo and Independence Ogunewe.
Others are Professor Nnamdi Obiaraeri, Bethel Zimako, Ogbuagu Celestine Uwakwe, Dr. J.C.N. Harcourt, Sunny Heart Ibeh, Azubuike Ekwegh, Jeff Ojinika, J.I.J. Njoku and Stan Nzekwe.
The statement announcing their expulsion was signed by the executive members of the party and all the 27 local government chairmen of the party.
Some of the affected members, including Araraume and Anumudu, have reacted to their expulsion, calling the bluff of the party.
In the last four years, PDP in Imo significantly played the opposition, leading to its success in grabbing all the three senatorial seats and eight out of 10 elective positions for the House of Representatives.
This feat, it has been argued, was attributed to the influence of Ihedioha. The former Deputy Speaker, in effort to rebuild the party, was said to have influenced juicy federal appointments to PDP members in the state with a view to strengthening it for 2015 general elections.
In similar vein, former President Goodluck Jonathan, through his federal ministers and other political appointees of Imo extraction, contributed in sustaining the party in the state, TheNiche learnt.
But with the party losing at the national level and Ihedioha exiting from the National Assembly, many have rightly argued that PDP has a tough task ahead towards sustaining opposition in Imo.
Chieftain of the party in the state, Law Biaduo, is yet to come to terms with the issue of PDP playing opposition role in the next four years, adding that he is optimistic of PDP winning the governorship position at the election tribunal sitting in Owerri.
His words: “Are we actually going to be in opposition in the next four years? It is not over yet. We in PDP strongly believe that we were robbed of victory and we have gone to the tribunal, expecting that (the learned) gentlemen and well-meaning Nigerians will help to advise INEC and the powers-that-be to reverse the declaration based on the facts that were discovered on the result sheets. While that is on, we will not accept defeat yet and the role of opposition party.
“Having said that, whether we win at the tribunal or not, we will still reposition our party. It is important that after every exercise, any organisation that is worth its salt sits back to do a review of what happened during the election. It is the only way we can appreciate where we went wrong and the task ahead.”
On the implication of expelling its members, Biadio said, “if in the cause of review, there are people that played roles leading to our failure, then something must be done about it. Some members of the party played roles indicating that they were dissatisfied with PDP activities, and this suggests to you that they were no longer members of the party long before they were expelled. So expelling them is to allow them play major roles wherever they find their new love. They are freer now to associate with political parties of their choice. If you look at the names of expelled members as published, none of them is with PDP because they have in one way or another associated themselves with other political parties which PDP frowns at, and being the basis for their expulsion. They have identified and worked for other political parties than PDP.”
He insisted that PDP remains the largest party in Africa and has the capacity to sustain opposition, since the members are predominantly professionals.
“We are still the largest party in Africa and the party that has the largest number of persons. Defectors are on a journey and we expect them to come back to where they rightfully belong. Our members have second addresses which implies that they have good jobs. They are professionals and good business leaders in the country and beyond. So to sustain our party is not a difficult task,” he said.
He emphasised that the current senators and House of Representatives members on the party’s platform would help to sustain it.
“Yes party patronage has helped the party and that is where people like Emeka Ihedioha come to play. He has over the years assisted the party. Hope Uzodinma, other senators and House of Representatives members with PDP as platform will help to sustain the party. With all these in place, I want to tell you that we are ready to play the opposition in the state. That is, if we do not win at the tribunal. You are aware that this government (Governor Rochas Okorocha administration) has not done well and has even threatened to withdraw the free education programme in Imo. They have boasted that they will destroy PDP in Imo and we are watching to see how far APC will go.”
