The crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, seemed to have deepened as more chieftains of the party are planning to dump the party.
THE WHISPERER reliably gathered that some chieftains of the party have allegedly concluded plans to dump the party over what they described as “poor leadership by some leaders of the party in the state”.
Considering the trending political disaffection, realignments and defections, a party source told THE WHISPERER that a serving national assembly member and other chieftains of the party are concluding plans to dump the PDP in a matter of days.
“Most of the leaders are not with the governor right now. Governor Ikpeazu is alone as it is today except some Councillors and Council Chairmen who are not popular in their areas.
“Can you point at any popular leader with the governor outside JOK (John Okiyi Kalu)?
“Can you imagine the governor picking an Umunneochi man as the running mate of an unpopular Ikonne? How can such ticket fly? People are leaving everyday, while others are staying behind to scuttle the chances of the party.”
A chieftain of the party who didn’t want to be named told THE WHISPERER that; “More people are planning to leave the party. Even if the governor wanted an Ngwa person to succeed him, he should have gone for Nana Nwafor instead of this old man. Abia PDP is collapsing; even the youths are leaving. Are you seeing anyone defending the governor on facebook outside PUO (Promise Uzoma Okoro)?
“The party is practically dead in Abia North. How many voters are in Umunneochi? Ikpeazu must act now to save the party from collapsing,” he said.
THE WHISPERER reports that prominent chieftains of the PDP that dumped the party include the former Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA); Member representing Isialangwa Federal Constituency, Hon. Darlington Nwokocha (LP), Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Hon. Sam Onuigbo (APC); Member representing Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency, Hon. Solomon Adaelu (APGA).
Others are Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, member representing Isialangwa North State Constituency (LP); Prof. Greg Ibe, Pro-Chancellor of Gregory University and now governoship candidate of APGA; Engr. Enyinnaya Nwafor, Dr. Chima Anya, Chief Fred Eke and many others.
Abia PDP Candidates In Trouble
The fate of the candidates of the party appears to be hanging in the balance as an Abia State High Court sitting in Aba has reversed itself on its earlier order which recognised the three-man Ad hoc delegates list that produced them.
One Akuoma Friday, had on May 16, 2022, approached the court, urging it to vacate its earlier order.
After due consideration of the suit, the court, presided over by Justice C.U. Okoroafor, yesterday, averred that it erred in law to have granted its earlier order.
Justice Okorafor explained that the new National Judicial Council guideline had stripped the court of the jurisdiction to entertain such matter.
The PDP flag bearer emerged after the court had issued an order on May 17, 2022, stating that only the 3-man Adhoc delegates list should be used for the purpose of electing the party’s governorship candidate.
The pre-convention order read in part, “The PDP, PDP Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu; PDP Abia State Chairman, Allwell Okere, PDP national organising Secretary, and Independent National Electoral Commission (1st to 5th defendants), their agents, privies, and employees howsoever described are hereby restrained in the interim from using, adopting or relying on any other list apart from the three-man Ad hoc list annexed herein as Exhibit ‘D’ as that has the name of the Claimant based on the Ad hoc election congresses or election of the 1st defendant (PDP) held on 6th May 2022 pending hearing and determination of the motion of notice.”
The court had also barred INEC from “recognising and monitoring any primaries by the 1st defendant (PDP) sought to be conducted with any other delegates list from the 1st defendant (PDP) other than the three-man Ad hoc delegates list annexed hereto as Exhibit ‘D’ which contains the name of the Applicant as one of the three-man Adhoc delegates congresses or election held in Abia State on 6th May 2022 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
But in a ruling on Wednesday, the court granted the prayer of Akuoma Friday and vacated its order.
The NJC, in a bid to limit the multiplicity of political matters involving INEC, had on May 11, 2022, stated that “All suits to which these Policy Directions apply shall be filed, received, or entertained only at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in so far as the relief sought, or potential consequential order (s) or declaration (s) may restrain or compel persons or actions beyond the territorial jurisdiction of any one State;”
The Zamfara Scenario
Two factions of the All Progressive Congress in Zamfara State, led by Kabiru Marafa and then Governor Abdul’aziz Yari, had engaged in a battle of supremacy over who controlled the soul of the party in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The disagreement denied the party the opportunity to hold (valid) primary elections for sponsorship of candidates within the stipulated time, as required by law.
Although the INEC went ahead to allow their participation in the poll, where the party won all the offices including governorship, the Supreme Court later voided all votes cast for the party and consequently sacked its candidates who were declared winners in the February 23 and March 16 general elections in the state by INEC.
The court ruled that the party had no candidates in the elections, as it failed to conduct primaries in accordance with its own rules and as required by law. It consequently ordered candidates of the political party that came second, which happened to be the PDP, to take over as the duly elected contestants.
