There is a plot to dissolve the PDP leadership led by Chief Charles Ezekwem in Imo State as part of desperate efforts by the camp of Senator Hope Uzodinma to re claim the party leadership in the State.
The State Working Committee of the party led by Chief Charles Ezekwem had sacked key men of Senator Hope Uzodinma for various anti party activities in the last one month.
Senator Uzodinma’s men also run a State Executive Committee led by Barr.Nnamdi Anyehie which has been termed illegal by the mainstream of the party.
Anyaehie and six others were sacked from the party last week.
A source confided in this newspaper at the weekend that there is so much pressure on the Ahmed Makarfi led National Caretaker Committee to dissolve the present party State Executive by the Uzodinma group as was done in some other State Chapters of the party that had issues of factionalization.
It was gathered that the plot has gone to an advanced stage with so much resources deployed in achieving the motive. Those pushing for the dissolution of the Imo PDP State Executives contend that the present state leadership has failed in all ramifications to unite the party after the Supreme Court judgement settled the issue of leadership tussle at the national level between Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sherrif.
“All actions carried out by Sherrif when he was national chairman of the PDP has been overruled in many States. If the Supreme Court ruled that Sherrif occupied chairmanship of the party illegally, it means all actions of his comitee were illegal. The Congresses that brought in the state leadership in Imo State were done during the time of Sherrif. Even when they were appointed as State Caretaker Commitee, they came in when Sherrif was at the helm of affairs.Why does such action carried out by an illegal national leadership led by Sherrif at that time still subsists till date? By virtue of that judgement, all actions by Sherrif are now illegal so the Congresses that produced Ezekwem and co are also illegal. So we must start afresh and this time around, there should be a level playing ground for all stakeholders. We await a fresh congress and before then, the normal way to go is to dissolve the state leadership, appoint a Caretaker that will now supervise fresh Congress.That is the only way we can have a united PDP in Imo State”
A member of the State Exco who spoke on condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to speak on the mater said those pushing for the dissolution of the party exco in Imo State are on a vain mission that will end in futility because the present party leadership stand on the path of legality.
“It is an exercise already in futility because they seem to be twisting the facts that brought in the present leadership of the party. The Nnamdi Anyaehie PDP State executives had their tenure long expired even before the 2015 presidential election. They were asked to stay on because elections were coming at that time. Twice they had their tenure extended ”
“We wanted some unity of purpose then and this was why we allowed all that.The Sherrif committee eventually held congresses in the State on the grounds that a new executive were needed based on the long expiration of the tenure of the leadership of Barr.Anyaehie.And that was how we got the present leadership from the wards, LGAs and at the State levels”
“The Anyaehie group still went ahead and were parading themselves as the party leadership in Imo State. We sought for a Court Order from a High Court in Orlu which asked them to vacate the State party secretariat at Okigwe road because they were occupying the place illegally because they are an illegal entity”
“The present leadership of the party emerged from a Due process and in consonance with the laws, rules and regulations of the party as enshrined in the party constitution. It has nothing to do with when Sherrif was the national chairman or now Makarfi is the national chairman” he said.
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