A fresh crisis might be imminent in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as elders and stakeholders of the party in Anambra had accused some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of sabotaging and trading away the party’s interest ahead of the 2023 general election.
This is as the party has listed conditions for a successful submission of all nomination forms by all the presidential aspirants and other categories of aspirants that purchased forms.
In another development, the Director-General, Saraki Campaign Organisation, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, has advised the party to allow all presidential aspirants to contest the presidential ticket of the PDP
However, the PDP stakeholders, has accused the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN of allegedly masterminding the hijack of PDP party structures nationwide, starting with Anambra congresses.
It was gathered that the aggrieved members under the aegis of Anambra PDP Stakeholders Forum, in a statement by their coordinator, Chief Emeka Nwankwo, yesterday, appealed to the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, to immediately intervene as party members in Anambra were already threatening to leave en masse if the PDP failed to immediately conclude the Anambra State congress and elect a new exco in the state.
The stakeholders accused the PDP National Secretary and the National Legal Adviser of working with some “fraudulent individuals in the Anambra Chapter to use the courts to frustrate the party and hijack its structure in the state”.
It also accused the two national officers of “orchestrating the continued delay to conclude Party congresses in Anambra State, as well as last Friday’s indefinite suspension of the State Congress by the NWC without any official reasons.
“It is instructive to state that elders of our party in Anambra State have been making efforts to curtail the excesses of these fraudulent individuals in the Anambra Chapter but their plots are now being aided by the two national officers.
“About two months ago, Party elders from Anambra led by His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi, visited the National Chairman and the NWC over an alleged plot by some members, particularly, Chief Chris Ubah and Linus Ukachukwu, to use the court to frustrate the conduct of the Anambra State congresses.
“The National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, had in that meeting reassured that no court can stop the congress, promising that his leadership will ensure a free, fair and transparent congress thereby bringing lasting peace to the Anambra PDP.
“Relying on the assurance of the National Chairman, the party elders worked hard in expectation of free, fair and credible congresses only to discover that the process is being sabotaged/hijacked by these individuals. Any time the congress is scheduled, the National Secretary and National Legal Adviser will throw up issues that will end up frustrating and stalling the process.
“Strangely, individuals indicted for absconding with sensitive materials at various stages of the exercise were reappointed as electoral committee members instead of being sanctioned. Such persons signed fictitious result sheets, which were used by Chief Chris Ubah and Linus Ukachukwu against our party in court.
“While the committee is yet to officially submit its report to the NWC, Chris Ubah and Linus Ukachukwu had used fictitious results made available to them by their agents in the NWC to obtain a strange and fraudulent Court order.
“Most curiously is that a counsel, Mr Adedamola Fanokun, was sent by the National Legal Adviser to collude with the said plaintiffs against our party in court. This Forum, therefore, strongly urges the National Chairman to restore the confidence in the conduct of the forthcoming party primaries across the nation by starting with Anambra State Congress.
Most instructive is that the Supreme Court had ruled in a case sponsored by Chief Chris Uba against the candidate of the PDP in the last Anambra governorship election that the FCT High Court does not have territorial jurisdiction and powers to interfere in the processes of the Anambra PDP.
“We urge the NWC to conduct an open hearing into the role being played by the National Secretary and the National Legal Adviser regarding the PDP congresses in Anambra State. We have the evidence and records to show at such a public hearing.
“Finally, we caution that if this is not done immediately, these same individuals will use the same method to frustrate the transparent conduct of PDP congresses across the country and hijack the National Convention,” the forum stated.
Meanwhile, the PDP in a statement by the National Organising Secretary, Bature Umar, has instructed that all duly completed nomination forms must be accompanied by the following documents
The list includes “Duly completed expression of interest form with sworn-affidavit from the high court; current valid membership card for 2022; copies of all credentials and certificates; evidence of payment and computerised confirmation slip from the secretariat
Also to be submitted are, “Six (6) sets of photocopies; passport photograph attached; copy of INEC voters card and tax clearance for the last three years.”
He also directed that all aspirants must enaure that they collected their acknowledgment copies of the duly nominated forms.
In a related development, Onaiwu, who called on the PDP to perish the idea of zoning the presidency but allow for a level playing ground for all aspirants, spoke at a meeting between the former president of the senate, and leading presidential aspirant of the PDP, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the PDP youth leaders in Nigeria.
While noting that the party did not have the luxury of zoning as an opposition party, he explained that, “You don’t zone what you don’t have, the party should allow for all aspirants to test their popularity at the polls.
“Nigeria is at a crossroads and needs people with competence and capacity to rescue this country. Zoning at this material time, simply means edging the best hands out of the chance to rescue this nation,” Osaro stated.
He, therefore, said there was no better time to get it right than now, especially, with Saraki in the race, and admonished the youths to support his presidential bid as that is the only way Nigeria could be rebuild. (THISDAY: Excludes headline)
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