The stand-off between Governor Sullivan Chime and Senator Ike Ekweremadu over Enugu West Senatorial seat blew into a state-wide brouhaha during last weekend’s ward congresses when allies of the deputy president of the Senate crept into town to put themselves in command of the party structure. What happens next?
BY FRANCIS IGATA
THE Enugu State chapter of the PDP has drawn the battle line for a protracted conflagration with its National Working Committee, NWC, having disagreed with the position of the NWC over who takes over the leadership of the state chapter as acting chairman following the resignation of Mr. Vita Abba.
Gov Chime
Thunderstorm had gathered over the leadership of the state chapter of the party on October 25 when at an emergency State Executive Council, SEC, meeting convened by the Secretary, Steve Oruruo, the resignation letter of the chairman, Abba, dated October 20 was read out.
Following the purported resignation, the SEC appointed the managing director of Enugu Housing Corporation, Ikeje Asogwa as Acting Chairman but the Deputy Chairman of the party, Elder David Aja, who was at the meeting, rejected the appointment of the new chairman, insisting that he, Aja should act in that office in line with section 47(1) of the PDP constitution.
However, the party through its Publicity Secretary, Dr. Okey Ezeh, faulted Aja’s position in a release made available to newsmen saying Aja was part of a clique “desperately looking for any opportunity to create crisis in the party for their selfish political ambitions, in an attempt to misinform the public and discredit the legitimate process that was followed by the State Executive Committee, SEC, of the party in appointing Chief Ikeje Asogwa as the chairman of the party in Enugu State.”
Constitutional provision
He disputed claims by Aja that he did not preside over the SEC meeting where Asogwa was elected as he upheld the appointment on constitutional provision that a new chairman should be appointed from the zone of the former chairman.
However, Aja’s rejection of Asogwa’s chairmanship was reinforced last Wednesday when the, NWC, nullified the new appointment of State Chairmen of the party in Enugu and Delta State as it directed the Deputy Chairmen of the two chapters to immediately take over the affairs of the party in their respective states.
Before then, Governor Sullivan Chime had sought to introduce Asogwa to the NWC members but was frustrated in his attempt as he waited more than five hours before seeing the national chairman, Adamu Muàzu.
A statement issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the PDP-NWC took the decision at its meeting held on Wednesday, October 28.
Matters were compounded last Friday when the Asogwa/Chime led faction convened an extraordinary emergency meeting of the SEC where it upheld the appointment of Mr. Ikeje Asogwa as the Acting Chairman of the party.
Extraordinary meeting
Ike Ekweremadu
The SEC meeting which was on the prompting of 86 out of the 106 members which represent more than two-third of the SEC membership in the state empowered to hold an extra-ordinary meeting in line with Article 24(4) of the PDP Constitution, which stipulates that “an extra-ordinary meeting of the State Executive Committee shall be held if requested for, by two-third of the members of the State.
In a communiqué signed and made available to newsmen by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Dr. Okey Eze reiterated the point that Asogwa had now been appointed as the new chairman in line with article 47 (6) of the PDP Constitution, which states that “where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the Party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from, pending the conduct of election to fill the vacancy.”
The squabble from both camps of the leadership set a perfect stage for parallel congresses from the Aja-led leadership and that of Asogwa’s.
Speaking to newsmen after the congresses, Acting Chairman, Aja said,” after the exercise, field reports I received indicated that the congresses were successfully conducted across the state without any hitch.”
“As you are aware, the congresses of the PDP in the 266 electoral wards of Enugu State were held today where three-man delegates were elected by our members in the various wards.
“The congresses were held at designated centres in the wards and they were very peaceful, successful, and indeed witnessed massive turnout of party faithful. We are happy with the manner our members conducted themselves and this has shown that our great party is marching into the coming elections with every determination to give PDP the needed victory.”
The Asogwa-led leadership speaking through its Publicity Secretary, Ezeh said, “the state chapter of PDP wishes to state that no ward congresses of the party in Enugu state has officially commenced in the State as at 4.30 pm Saturday.
“ The state party secretariat has been open and ready for the congresses since 7am yesterday. No member of the Electoral Panel from the national secretariat of the Party has reported to our party office at N0. 1 Chime Lane, G.R.A, Enugu, the venue officially designated by the national secretariat of our Party for the commencement and coordination of all the congresses and party primaries.
Congresses and party primaries
The list of delegates is the key that will unlock the power struggle between the Chime and Ekweremadu which the chairman of the party will play a great role in determining who becomes a delegate.
As the clock chimes towards the party primaries in Enugu state, the rumour-mill is in overdrive that the Asogwa faction has opened talks with an opposition party should NWC not recognize their own list of delegates to ventilate their political ambitions from the platform.
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