Emeka Osondu
28 June 2009
Lagos — The recognition of the Uchenna Emodi-led executive as the authentic leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State was intended to put paid to leadership tussles within the party in the state. The crisis had in the past thrown-up so many leaders each with an appendage godfather.
The much-troubled Anambra PDP in the immediate past had three chairmen all claiming to have been recognised through their various court victories, until the party's national leadership under Chief Vincent Ogbulafor decided to streamline affairs of the party in the state and after due process, settled for the Emodi executive.
Ogbulafor did not have an easy ride in reaching this decision as the other factional leaders were and are still vehemently opposed to the choice of Emodi executive as the authentic state executive.
This was made manifest on the day the Emodi-led executive was to be received in Awka, the state capital. That day, hell was let loose with another faction of the party holding a parallel rally in the same city ostensibly to divide the attention of members.
As if the distraction was not enough, an armed robbery attack took place in Awka on that day which after-effect left some people dead at the Awka mega station and the PDP state secretariat at Udoka Housing Estate riddled with bullets. The incident appeared to be a mere coincidence but some analysts suspected it could have been part of an alleged plot to scuttle the reception. The organisers were smart enough to shift the reception to another venue.
At the Emmaus House, Awka, the new venue of the reception, the newly returned PDP state executive promised to convene a stakeholders meeting as part of its moves to reconcile and rejuvenate the crisis-ridden party to its past glory.
The meeting was first slated for the first week in May, but it was later put off as a result of what the Police described as "security risk". That was because of the intense protest and anger by some stakeholders and their supporters over the recognition accorded the Uchenna Emodi-led executive as the authentic state leadership in Anambra state by the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP. The state leadership of the party successfully hosted a special stakeholders meeting in Awka, even as the situation has been characterised by intrigues.
A few days to the re-scheduled stakeholders meeting, the police authorities in the state unlocked the sealed gate to the party office and handed over the secretariat to the Uchenna Emodi-led committee, just as it announced that the state police command recognized only the Emodi-led executive as the authentic leadership of the party in the state.
The incident which took place on Monday, May 25, 2009 at about 4.15pm was witnessed by PDP party stalwarts and members drawn from the twenty-one local government areas of the state, who had converged in Awka for a meeting.
The State Commissioner of Police, Amusa Bello, who was represented at the occasion by a Chief Superintendent of Police, Charles Dike accompanied by a team of anti-riot policemen therefore warned politicians, especially PDP members opposed to the return of the Emodi-led executive to refrain from acts capable of leading to a breach of peace, as the police would not hesitate to deal decisively with anybody engaged in acts of lawlessness.
Soon after the police commissioner's speech, the jubilant members trooped into the large compound of the secretariat in droves led by the party leader, Chief Chris Uba. Uba displayed courtesy by welcoming everybody with a warm hand-shake, just as the frenzied moment later burst into joyous songs of praise and prayer session by the members.
Speaking to newsmen later, the publicity secretary of the party in the state, Mr. Afam Ilounoh said the issue that led the police to suspect that there could be a possible breach of peace within the party circles had been tidied up, just as he assured that there was no more crisis in the party.
Ilounoh, a lawyer, equally explained that the PDP national hierarchy had gone to court to challenge the issues of multiple litigation at the same level of court by the Ifeatu Obi-Okoye faction, which he said had resulted in what he described as "judicial rascality and abuse of court process", and announced the date for the rescheduled stakeholders meeting.
However, contrary to Ilounoh's declaration that peace has finally returned to the party, a few days to the stakeholders meeting, a group that styled itself as "Anambra PDP stakeholders" placed advertorials in some national dailies with the title: "Open letter to Mr. President" whereby the group faulted the NWC's recognition of the Emodi-led executive as the authentic leadership of the party in the state.
They argued that the directive of Mr. President (Leader of the party) to accord the Emodi committee recognition as stated by the Attorney-General of the federation was counter-productive and negates the principles of rule of law, which includes obedience to court rulings.
The group also in their attempt to dissuade the president from the decision that recognized Emodi and his groups as the authentic leadership of the party in the state cited some controversial activities allegedly committed under Chief Chris Uba's leadership of the party in 2003.
Obviously angered by this development, major stakeholders of the PDP in the state at a special stakeholders' meeting which was massively attended by party supporters and leaders at Choice Hotel, Awka, issued a communiqué condemning what they described as an unwarranted attack on some personalities within the party hierarchy, including the state leader, Chief Chris Uba by the so-called "Anambra PDP Stakeholders".
According to the communiqué, the stakeholders resolved as follows:
"That Anambra State PDP stakeholders disassociate itself fully and entirely from publications of Daily Sun, Thursday, 21st May 2009, page 13 and ThisDay, Friday, 29th May 2009, page xii, Vol. 14, titled "OPEN LETTER TO MR PRESIDENT" and signed by two faceless individuals by names, Mr. Peter Uyanwa and Mr. Emeka Obi, maligning the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Attorney General of the Federation.
"That we recognize that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has in truth and with legal ingenuity resolved the crises within the state's chapter of PDP."
Furthermore, the stakeholders passed a vote of confidence on Chief Michael Aondoaka on his support and observation of the rule of law of the present administration.
The party apologised to its members and faithful in the state who felt they had been hurt in one way or the other, and urged them to forgive and forget, and requested all to forge ahead in true reconciliation.
They further called on all members of the PDP in Anambra State to support the state leadership of Mr. Uchenna Emodi and his entire executive to enable them build a formidable PDP again, as we have had it in Anambra State from inception in 1998.
They extended support to all the 21 Local Government Areas party chairmen and their executives and 326 ward leaders and called on them to step out and re-engineer a total grassroots mobilisation as has been traditional in Anambra State PDP.
The stakeholders paid tribute to leaders of the party for their worthy efforts. They stressed that we "thank the party's founding fathers, BOT members, NEC and Zonal Officers, especially His Excellency Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Senator Onyeabor Obi, Chief Chris Uba, His Excellency Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Chief Guy Ikokwu, and Chief Olisa Metu, to mention but a few, who have in one way or the other been instrumental to the peaceful resolution of this great mass movement, the PDP in Anambra State."
While commending President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua for his invaluable leadership qualities and his celebration of two years in office. They equally congratulated the National Chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor and members of the NWC of the PDP on successful ten years of uninterrupted Civil Democracy with the PDP as a ruling party and for their interventions, which led to the peaceful resolution of leadership tussle in the Anambra State based on the rule of law.
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