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.
On the issue of order of arrest of Ogbulafor and others issued by the court, the PDP hierarchy has since described the development as an "embarrassment and surprise" since the judgment that the Obi-Okoye group was seeking to enforce is a nullity in law on the grounds that the suit from which the order emanates had been discontinued since December, 2007 just as it claimed that the court that issued the order lacked jurisdiction. Apart from that, the party filed an appeal against the contempt charge of the Court of Appeal in Enugu .
These were revealed by the National legal Adviser of PDP, Chief Olushola Oke who spoke to newsmen in Abuja after his meeting with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Mike Aondoakaa. Explaining that "Suit N0 HID/106/2004 had been discontinued since December 11, 2007 as stated in the affidavit by plaintiff to the suit, Chief Ogugua Nwosu, then Financial Secretary of the party, who said defendant to the suit is the campaign Director of the ANPP governorship candidate in the 2007 governorship election in the state"
Nevertheless, leader of PDP in the state, Chief Chris Uba at the stakeholders' meeting lamented the crisis that had rocked the party to its foundation over the years. He commended the decision of the PDP NWC to return the party on the part of peace and progress, just as he urged every well meaning member of the party to support the gesture.
Uba, also a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), urged every member and stakeholder of the PDP to join hands with the newly returned Uchenna Emodi led state executive of the party to build and reposition the party for greater efficiency. He equally assured that the new leadership would be open and transparent in its dealings with every member.
He explained that mechanisms had been put in place to check all excesses, especially as regard the conduct of party primaries for the on-coming 2010 governorship election.
Also in his speech, former Governor of the state, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju advised politicians, especially those in public offices to sustain the current democratic norms in the country by avoiding self-interests and rancour which breed disunity in the polity. He said that politics is all about people and development.
Mbadinuju noted that the persistent crisis in the state chapter of the party was occasioned by the inability of public office seekers and politicians to play the game according to the rule.
He noted that since the constitution and electoral law of the country clearly specified that nobody would be allowed to play politics without a political party platform, there was the need for politicians to do only those things that would harness and promote the party so that it can grow.
The former governor lamented a situation whereby the state chapter of PDP, which was a force to reckon with at the onset of democracy in 1999, had just been thorn apart by internal crisis despite the many successes it had recorded over-time as a result of in-fighting and jostling for positions among stakeholders.
He therefore urged every member of the party to renew his dedication to the party and work for the restoration of its lost glory, stressing that "your destiny is in your hand".
He reminded them that besides being a governor there are many other positions to be vied for. He said there was no need for fighting or blocking the door as against anybody, adding that the PDP lost the governorship chance because of a simple mistake. Mbadinuju expressed optimism that this time, "we are making a good beginning by re-grouping for a common front. And I believe, at the last count, we will show the world what we can do."
Other stakeholders who spoke at the forum agreed that the period of crisis in the state PDP should be over to enable the party reposition and consolidate on its electoral fortunes. They include two governorship aspirants: Dr. Alex Obiogbolu and Senator Emma Anosike, as well as a PDP stalwart, Valentine Ayika.
Dr. Alex Obiogbolu said these were
The state chairman of PDP, Mr. Uchenna Emodi, in his welcome address said his executive is working for reconciliation, progress and success, and pleaded with members to lend their support to him and his team for actualization of the objective of entrenching participatory democracy in the party which entails dialogue.
Emodi noted that, "The political terrain in Anambra State is on a threshold of an imminent escalation of political activities. We have already seen the beginning with many parties jostling with activities including possible candidates' endorsements, formal launching of parties and campaign offices. For our party we have decided to call all of you to be part of the deliberations towards repositioning the party for its role in the unfolding political atmosphere.
"It will be our mission to reclaim our rightful position in the state as the ruling party just like we dominated the State House of Assembly and National Assembly with PDP members. We should also be preparing for the local government chairmanship and councillorship elections which maybe called at anytime by the state government. We therefore request you to assist us in the State Executive as we discharge our mandate collectively in accordance with our avowed belief in total reconciliation and togetherness while we progress in the state," he stressed.
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