Anambra PDP faction tasks NWC on acceptable congress

• Parties close N’Assembly seat case 

NONE of the three factional executive committees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State was duly elected at any time, a factional chairman and former Secretary to the State Government, Osita Ezenwa, has said.

Currently, there are three factions, led separately by Ken Emeakayi, Ezenwa and Ejike Oguebego, following the intractable crisis bedeviling the party in the state.

Ezenwa’s camp, which is loyal to Comrade Tony Nwoye, was recently inaugurated in Awka, but he disclosed that what happened was simply “to let the National Working Committee (NWC) realise that the only way out of the crisis is to conduct ward, council and state congresses for a genuine party executive.”

He noted that this point was manifest in the recent open resignation of Joe-Martins Uzodike, who the Emeakayi group had made its secretary, as the man said he would not accept a position not democratically and formally won.

He said they would consider other options if their efforts to get the NWC to reason fails. According to Ezenwa, the whole setup is a “charade, is clandestine, illegal and at variance with the well-known principles of democracy, adding that he would be shocked if the NWC condones it, especially when everyone wants the party to carry out an in-house cleansing.

When contacted, however, Emeakayi described Ezenwa’s camp as paid agents and mercenaries sent to destabilise the PDP before joining their sponsors in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He claimed to have it on good authority that series of meetings had been held by their representatives and some APC leaders, who are bent on thwarting his restructuring of the PDP.

Meanwhile, the Elections Petitions Tribunal 1 sitting in Awka, presided by Justice Nayai Agadagba, has fixed Sept 11, 2015, for the final submission of written and oral addresses.

Dozie Nwankwo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) had brought the case against the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Dr. Okey Eze of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of Njikoka/Dunukofia/Anaocha Federal Constituency in the March 28, 2015 elections.

Eze and the PDP had closed their case without calling any witness, pending only the final briefs. Earlier, counsel to INEC, Chukwudubem Anyigbo, told the tribunal that they had no witness and were therefore relying on the evidence enunciated from cross-examinations.

When Eze took the stand to defend his case, he also caused uproar as his counsels said they had no witnesses and were equally relying on the testimonies from cross-examinations. Proceedings were then adjourned till today, when Eze is expected to open his case.