ANAMBRA PDP CRISIS: WE 'RE NOT SUSPENDED -EMEAKAYI, OTHERS

Irked by the suspension handed down to Prince Kenneth Emeakayi and seven others by the South-east Zonal Working Committee of the People Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, members of the party loyal to the Emeakayi-led state executive yesterday passed a vote of no confidence on the National Vice Chairman, South-east, Chief Olisa Metuh.

The Emeakayi-led executive at a meeting held at the party secretariat, Udoka Housing Estate Awka said the Zonal Working Committee lacked the power to suspend them.

But in a swift reaction, the Zonal Publicity Secretary, Ali Odefa said the conveners of the meeting, Emeakayi and others had been suspended from the party hence had no power to convene PDP meeting.

He said: 'I want to re-emphasis that Emeakayi and the seven others are suspended form the party and remain suspended until the zonal disciplinary committee finds them innocent or guilty of the charges. For now, anybody dealing with them is doing so at his or her own risk as they do not represent the party.'

Though the meeting earlier had some hitches as armed policemen prevented the people from entering the party secretariat, it later commenced after the visit of some of Emeakayi's faction to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Muhtari Ibrahim.

Addressing the party members, Emeakayi said they should discountenance the announcement on radio and television and the reports in the national dailies to the effect that they were suspended by the zone, stressing that it was a ploy to disorganize them from the forthcoming local government election, which they had insisted that Governor Peter Obi must conduct.

He said Metuh, who, according to him, was the architect of the suspension wanted to use it to stop them from pursuing their demand.

Emeakayi further accused Metuh of working against the party by allegedly working with Governor Obi and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), stressing that no amount of threat would stop them from ensuring that council election was conducted in the state this year.

He said: 'I am prepared to die if only to ensure that Olisa returns our money. Olisa is an agent of Governor Peter Obi and APGA. Even if I stop being chairman or member of PDP we must ensure that Obi conducts the council election this year.'

But reacting to the meeting and comments of Emeakayi, the Zonal Publicity Secretary, Odefa said: 'The utterances of Prince Ken Emeakayi and others can be liken to a drowning man who can clutch a straw hoping for survival.

'First, the zonal working committee can suspend and discipline any member of the party who is not a member of NEC and incidentally Emeakayi and the seven others do not fall into this category as they are not NEC members.

'I want to say that Anambra State for a long time has been undergoing protracted crisis in the party and as we speak there are over 458 court cases and nine injunctions all claiming rightful chairman of the party in the state. In view of this, the apex decision making of the party, NWC in their wisdom authorize the zonal working committee in writing to run the party in Anambra until congresses are conducted.'

On the issue of the fund of the party Odefa said: 'Our chairman is not a signatory to the account and is not a state officer, so they should not try to rubbish somebody's image to achieve their political aims.'