Simon Ebegbulem
4 December 2008
Lagos — FORMER Chief of General Staff and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe (rtd), yesterday declared that the "true" members of the PDP in the state would resist any attempt by the National leadership of the party to appoint the state chairman of the party without following the due process.
He attributed the current travails of the party in the state to lack of internal democracy, stressing the need for the leadership of the party to flush out what he described as anti- democratic forces in the state PDP in order to save the soul of the party in the state.
Admiral Akhigbe who spoke to Vanguard on telephone yesterday, regretted that the National Chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor had refused to follow the lawful path in finding solution to the crisis ravaging the PDP in Edo State, saying however that they would not allow some leaders who have refused to follow the path of truth, to destroy the party in the state.
According to him, "there must be internal democracy in the state PDP. The activities of the anti- democratic forces in the state PDP is threatening not only the nation's democracy but the existence of the party in the state.
Though the matter is in court and we are waiting anxiously to see how it goes. But how can you go and appoint some body as chairman of a party when the person did not participate in any congress.
"And why it is giving me great concern is that the National Chairman of the party is condoning such illegality. It is an insult on our people that you just sit down with one man and appoint some as Chairman of the party.
That was how we went to Abuja some time ago, the National chairman shared the party into two, one was Osunbor's group the other one Chief Anenih. That is nonsense. What of other leaders of the party, are you saying they are not relevant? he queried.
Continuing he said, "it is obnoxious for the National Chairman to ask Chief Anenih to produce the Chairman of the party. Are they the owners of the party. That is an insult to us. Initially they pretended that they held congress and when that one did not work they now went to appoint some body who never attended any of the congresses.
Meanwhile there was already a congress that the same PDP executives from Abuja monitored and declared the winner Chairman of the party, later on you now said that person is not the chairman because of one man is dictating the tune.
"But I want to say that we will not allow these people destroy the party in the state. We are waiting patiently for the decision of the court on this matter. We will resist any attempt by any body to appoint some as chairman of the party without the due process. That will be inviting trouble in the state and every body must know about this" he stated.
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