Ebonyi PDP Crises: Aspirants' Group Accuses NWC of Complicity
A political group, Forum of People's Democratic Party State Assembly Aspirants in Ebonyi State has accused the Party's National Working Committee of colluding with enemies to destroy the Party in the State.
The forum in briefing led by its chairman, Steve Rodstick Eze, on Thursday in Abakaliki, expressed worries over the recent happenings in the Party in Ebonyi in particular, and Southeast in general, where notable Party stalwarts recently left the party on account of obvious injustices.
In its statement also made available to newsmen, dated May 26, 2022, and titled; "Urgent Need To Rescue Ebonyi PDP; call for an urgent intervention of the NWC", the Forum expressed grave concern over the turn of events in Ebonyi State PDP over the past 3 weeks and described it as unhealthy for their ambitions in particular, and the Party in general.
They insisted that the constant scuttling and postponement of the Party's primary elections in the State, and the failure of the NWC to intervene was an indication of their deliberate intention to rob the party off governorship and other candidates in the forthcoming general elections, a situation they decried as unhealthy for the Party.
They observed with regrets that whereas other states already had their primary elections on Tuesday 24th May, 2022, Ebonyi was yet to hold hers after about 3 consecutive postponements resulting from some administrative anomalies.
The forum challenged the NWC to urgently take actions to remedy the Party's image in the State by ensuring the it conducts its Primaries before June 3 deadline, or accept responsibility for the Party's failure in the entire Southeast.
The aspirants who lamented the uncertainty of their investments so far in the Party, urged the NWC to quickly set matters straight as it concerns the case of 3-man ad-hoc delegates and primary elections in Ebonyi State, to restore their confidence in the party.
They warned that failure of the NWC to heed their call would tantamount to mass exodus from the Party in the State as recently witnessed in other parts of the zone.
Part of forum's statement reads: "...recent events with regards to the PDP in Ebonyi State suggest that the NWC is either bent on killing the PDP in Ebonyi or invariably doing a hatchet man’s job for the enemies of the PDP in Ebonyi State and the Southeast zone at large.
'It's now trending in Abia, Anambra, Imo, Enugu and other states (in other zones) that the NWC sells tickets to highest bidders causing those who have stood firm with the party in trying times to be frustrated out of the party, a situation that is causing serious crisis in various chapters of the party, especially in the Southeast.
"In the last two days three great icons of the PDP in the Southeast namely, their Excellencies Mr. Peter Obi, an outstanding Presidential aspirant of our great party; Senator Ike Ekweremadu, former Deputy President of the Senate and a Governorship aspirant in Enugu State and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senate Minority Leader and a Governorship aspirant in Abia State, have all left the PDP in a most disgraceful manner.
"We are, therefore, particularly appealing to NWC to quickly set matters straight as it concerns the case of 3-man ad-hoc delegates and primary elections in Ebonyi State.
"It cannot be over emphasized that the PDP is the dominant, most viable and leading party in Ebonyi State and any action that causes the party not to field candidates in the state will not only kill the party in the state but confirm the notion that the PDP is out to sideline the Southeast in its fold.
"We demand that the NWC of the PDP save the party in Ebonyi State and the Southeast by intervening on current crises that has thrown millions of PDP faithfuls in Ebonyi State into confusion, despair and uncertainty.
"We demand that the NWC do the needful and take active steps to set aside major impediments and ensure primary elections are conducted in Ebonyi State in a free and fair manner before the June 3rd deadline in line with extant electoral laws.
"We alert our teeming members in the state and Nigerians at large to hold the PDP National Working Committee of the PDP responsible should Ebonyi State fail to field Candidates for various positions in the 2023 general elections."
Recall that the PDP in the State has recently been battling with leadership crises, which obviously has made it impossible to get their acts together as a formidable opposition party in the State.