Group seeks resignation of PDP Chairman Enugu State

Enugu West People's Forum has urged the State chairman of the People Democratic Party, PDP, Engr. Vita Abba to resign so as to pursue his gubernatorial ambition ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Addressing a press conference in Enugu chairman of the forum Hon. Paul Anikwe said the resignation of the party chairman has become necessary as he has  allowed his personal interest to override the overall interest and fortunes of the party.

They accused the party chairman of political high handedness, harassment and intimidation of various party functionary, town unions, stakeholders, traditional institutions, and the civil society over the 2015 ambition of the Governor of Enugu State and his preferred candidates.

But in his reaction the party chairman Engr. Abba described the call for his resignation as baseless and laughable insisting that he  has been running the affairs of the party in the State since 2008 in line with the provisions of the PDP Constitution without any fear, favour or bias.

“It’s an attempt by a few individuals to cause distraction and foster their selfish agenda in the opposition political party, the All Progressive Congress (APC). “On the purported allegation that I ordered that the traditional rulers who endorsed the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu  for his Senatorial ambition in 2015 be dethroned, is not only false but also another ploy to ridicule my office and mislead the public.”

The Enugu West Forum at the conference also condemned alleged attempts to compel and railroad various government functionaries and party executives into hasty endorsement of Governor Chime and his preferred candidates for elective positions ahead of 2015.

“These people form the large chunk of delegates at the party primaries and should be allowed to make choices of their own when the time comes. Efforts to railroad and force them towards a particular agenda at this time are preemptive and indeed represent attempt to rig and compromise the primaries in advance.

“We condemn the rising cases of political intimidation, arm-twisting, threats, and witch-hunt of otherwise neutral Local Government Party executives and government functionary averse to this preemptive rigging and compromise of the electoral processes of Enugu State PDP ahead of the 2015 general election.

“We see nothing wrong with royal fathers joining their people to pay an appreciation visit to their elected representatives for verifiable democracy dividends attracted to their communities. To punish these respected persons for such conventional and well-intentioned action is to say the least oppressive”.