The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has worsened, with some stakeholders of the party in the South-East throwing their weight behind the embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
NATIONAL POST recalls that the South-East Executive Committee of the party met at the Enugu Government House last week, during which they threatened to dump the party if the national leadership failed to recognise SKE Ude-Okoye as the National Secretary.
That meeting was attended by the host governor, Dr Peter Mbah, as well as the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara.
Yesterday, Tuesday, the caucus also followed that decision up by meeting the National Working Committee, NWC, in Abuja.
However, while that meeting was ongoing, another set of stakeholders convened a meeting in the same Federal Capital Territory, during which they declared that Anyanwu remained the National Secretary.
Notable allies of the FCT, Minister, Nyesom Wike were in that meeting.
They included: the immediate past governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Senator Michael Amah Nnachi, Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, Rt. Hon Jones Onyeriri, the Zonal Legal Adviser, Barrister Ukpai Ukairo, Zonal Organising Secretary, Rt. Hon. Mike Ahumibe, the PDP Chairmen of Imo and Abia states, among others.
They firmly rejected the meeting held at the Enugu State Government House, Enugu, under the factional National Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Ali Odefa, describing all the decisions reached at the said meeting as a nullity.
The counter stakeholders’ meeting was convened by the new National Vice Chairman of the PDP, Southeast zone, Hon. Chidiebere Goodluck Egwu.
They reiterated their call for the National Working Committee (NWC) to obey the Supreme Court ruling "that explicitly reaffirmed the position of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the party".
Speaking to some of the issues fueling the crisis in the party in the Southeast zone in a Communique signed at the end of the meeting, the stakeholders unanimously called on the NWC and the general public to disregard the meeting held at the behest of the expelled former National Vice Chairman, Odefa.
The stakeholders also reiterated their call for the immediate conduct of Congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra States, which do not have a valid State Working Committee.
The communique recalled several judgments that affirmed the suspension and subsequent expulsion of Mr. Ali Odefa as the National Vice Chairman of the PDP Southeast and afterwards urged the Zonal Working Committee to immediately institute a “Contempt of Court” Proceedings against the former zonal chairman.
The Stakeholders also urged all party members and leaders to support the Senator Bukola Saraki-led reconciliation committee of the party to mediate on the lingering crisis and leadership skirmishes in the interest of the survival of the party.