Abia PDP group indict Damagun, NWC of sabotage, negligence

The Rebranded Abia PDP Forum, a Peoples Democratic Party group in Abia State, has accused the National Working Committee of the party of deliberately neglecting and sabotaging the party in Abia State as part of a grand plot hatched in cahoots with an opposition party in the state and a member of the party’s Board of Trustees to destroy the party.

The group was at the Wadata House National Secretariat of the party on Monday to submit a protest letter over its position.

The protest letter was submitted to the Chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Umaru Damagun, and other members of the NWC.

In it, the group expressed shock that more than two months after some members of the party who were sponsored by known chieftains of the PDP obtained a court injunction against the former State Working Committee and the conduct of the State Congress of the party in the state, no efforts whatsoever has been made to constitute a caretaker committee to supervise the affairs of the party pending the exhaustion of the court processes.

Speaking to newsmen after submitting the letter, a former Commissioner for Information; Trade and Investment in the state, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, expressed dismay that the party leadership in Abuja has not been supporting the state chapter of the party and appears to be playing a script aimed at polarising and paralysing the party.

Kalu said: “For more than 10 months after Hon. Aaron Uzodike of PDP was declared winner of the Aba North State Constituency election, the Alex Otti-led government and the Labour Party in Abia State did everything to frustrate his inauguration.

“We were therefore locked in a serious battle with Governor Alex Otti and members of the Labour Party to ensure that Hon. Aaron Uzodike was inaugurated as ordered by the courts.

“Despite this long battle, we did not receive any support from the NWC of our party even after repeatedly briefing them on the matter.

“Not even a single press statement came from the NWC to condemn the Governor’s despotic action and join us to pressure him to do the right thing.

“And as if that was not enough, it is now more than two months since some fifth columnists were sponsored to obtain a court injunction against the party’s congress in Abia.

“Unfortunately, the NWC has not deemed it fit to constitute a caretaker committee since then thereby leaving the party to float without leadership.

“We wish to bring it to your notice that LGA elections in Abia State have been scheduled for November with party primaries expected to commence Tuesday, September 24, yet PDP members in the state are unable to obtain nomination forms and contest due to the absence of a constituted leadership.

“We find this both strange and worrisome.

“Whereas PDP remains the strongest political party in Abia State with 12 elected members in the State House of Assembly, and National Assembly members, yet, it has no SWC.

“At the moment, there is even no known effort by the NWC to vacate the obnoxious court injunction, and also punish the infiltrators who took the party to court for not first utilising the internal conflict resolution mechanisms of the party, in line with our constitution.

“Instead, all we hear from the rumour mill is that there are members of the NWC and BOT involved in the destabilisation agenda.”

While delivering the letter, which was endorsed by party chieftains from the three senatorial districts of the state, including Rt. Hon. Christopher Enweremadu (Abia Central) and Hon. Kingsley Nna (Abia South), Kalu, as a PDP chieftain from Abia North, called for unity of purpose within the party to ensure that the party wins all future elections in the state.

Continuing, he said: “Our party can easily win all elections in the state because we remain the only party with structures across the state and members who know how to win elections based on experience over the years.

“Let the NWC do its job and allow us to do the rest otherwise they should all bear responsibility for the looming total disintegration of the party in the State.

“We won’t hesitate to put all their names in our hall of shame, if they don’t act expeditiously.”

Kalu further called on the national leadership of the party to immediately constitute a caretaker committee to conclude the congress of the party and carry out the functions of the state working committee pending the inauguration of a new state working committee.