.Obi, Ekweremadu battle for VP ticket
- Umahi denies rift with Ibeto
By Okey Maduforo, Enugu
The unending leadership tussle in Anambra State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has exposed the looming cold war among the chieftains of the South East chapter of the party following the Vice Presidential ambition of Anambra State former governor, Mr. Peter Obi, and Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.
Similarly the rift between Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, and the Anambra State-born business magnate, Chief Cletus Ibeto, over an alleged agreement between the duo before the governor’s victory in the last general election is said to have been resolved despite the resignation of the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Bernard Odoh.
The National Working Committee of PDP had in a statement canceled the Anambra PDP State Congress which produced Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu as state chairman, announcing that a fresh exercise would be done soon.
The party’s National Chairman, Uche Secondos, in a statement also directed the South East executive of PDP headed by Austin Umahi to resolve the crisis in Anambra PDP.
According to the letter by the national leadership of PDP on December 14, 2017, the Umahi led executive was given 90 days to finding solution to the crisis in Anambra but 77 days of the three-month deadline, the NWC set up yet another committee headed by Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu without any report from the South East party leadership.
According to a source, the South East PDP was allegedly not allowed to discharge its duties following plot by some members of the party to stop the Vice Presidential ambition of Peter Obi, which would gain mileage positively should the party in Anambra resolve its crisis.
“We know that the Ekweremadu Committee was set up so that the Anambra crisis remains perpetual to unsettle the ambition of Peter Obi so that Ike Ekweremadu would have his way”.
But the South East PDP Chairman, Austin Umeahi, had insisted that there has not been any official letter asking his executive to stop its duties on Anambra matter, stressing that he could not comment further on the issue.
However, another source contended: “At what point did the NWC lose confidence in the Umahi South East Committee and why is the Ekweremadu Committee taking over the constitutional role of the South East PDP in Anambra crisis?
“If what we are hearing that PDP would zone the Vice Presidential ticket to the South East and Ekweremadu is one of the top contenders from Enugu and Peter Obi is another top contender from Anambra State and Sen. Ben Obi is also in the race from Anambra state it is a plot to frustrate the Anambra PDP from laying claim to the running mate contest and to the advantage of Ekweremadu.”
It was gathered that most PDP states in the South East are currently entertaining internal crisis which has already affected Ebonyi State, hence creating face-off between Governor Dave Umahi and Chief Cletus Ibeto who was alleged to have been promised to manage the Nkalagu cement factory.
Already, the secretary to the state government of Ebonyi, Mr. Odoh, recently resigned his position as a result of the showdown between Umahi and Ibeto, his alleged benefactor who is alleged to be shopping for Umeahi’s replacement in 2019.
But reacting to the allegation, the Chief Press Secretary to Ebonyi State Governor, Sir Emmanuel Uzor, told The Niche that there was no problem between his boss and Ibeto.
“We were with him just recently in his house. People should discountenance allegations and falsehood emanating from people whose stock in trade is to run the government of Ebonyi State down.
“What is the relationship between the resignation of the former SSG and the Ibeto, Umahi issue? There is no problem between his Excellency Dave Umahi and Chief Cletus Ibeto. The relationship has been brotherly and during our recent visit to Ibeto, a true Igbo son, it was eventful. So at what point did the two start having problem?”
Uzoh further noted that though he is not the publicity secretary of PDP in Ebonyi or the South East, the crisis in PDP is unfounded.
“It is still the same people that are at it again. People should find something useful to do for themselves and not to overheat the polity in Igbo land.”
Effort to speak with the media assistant to Peter Obi, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, proved abortive as several calls by this reporter could not connect him. However, one of his leading supporters, Mr. Udechukwu Nwachukwu, told The Niche that the former governor was not making it a do-or-die affair, adding that Obi is yet to make any public pronouncement on the vice presidential ticket.
