The Ward Congress in Imo State may have come and gone but certain actions of key players in the party in the State really raise concern on the level of desperation exhibited by some party stakeholders in their quest to have control of their various political domains.
Investigations conducted by this newspaper indicate that the congress was to be held on Saturday, April 30, 2016 but was postponed to Sunday, May 1.
The arrival of Sergeant Awuse, a PDP chieftain from Rivers State, to supervise the congress must have unsettled some party chiefs who relied on the caretaker committee chairman, Vitalis Okafor to take charge of the exercise.
He was said to have announced that he had clear instructions to recognize only seven party leaders namely former Governors Achike Udenwa, Ikedi Ohakim, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Senator Athan Achonu, Senator Hope Uzodinma and Dr(Mrs) Kema Chikwe
This newspaper had reported on April 29, 2016, that some powerful forces were bent on dismantling the Caretaker Committee. This plan may have succeeded with the arrival of Awuse and his team.
On Saturday, April 30, the Awuse team summoned a stakeholders meeting at the State party secretariat, Owerri where leaders of the party in the 27 local government areas aired their views on the party and the way forward.
The Supervising committee was said to have insisted that the congress must go on as scheduled on that day but rescinded the decision after pressure was put on the team to shift the congress to Sunday, May 1 on the basis that the sanitation exercise across the State had taken much of the time of the day.
Another meeting was fixed at a popular hotel along Owerri- Port Harcourt Road, Owerri later in the night.
Two party leaders from each local government were to be present at the meeting. The hotel premises became a sea heads of thugs who accompanied their various leaders to the meeting.
Among top party present at the meeting include former Governor Achike Udenwa, Ikedi Ohakim, Senator Hope Uzodinma, and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, Dr (Mrs) Kema Chikwe and others from various local governments.
Sharing of the ward congress forms and delegates list was the crux of the matter. A former Governor was said to have stormed the meeting and was infuriated how the delegates list for his Okigwe zone was compiled and angrily tore to pieces the sheets of paper containing the delegates list. He angrily left the meeting.
The supervising team was said to have expressed shock at the reaction of the former governor. This did not serve as a deterrent to others as factions loyal to party bigwigs fought openly and exchanged abusive words over which faction takes custody of the ward congress forms for their various local governments.
A party chieftain from Isiala Mbano LGA who runs a construction company was asked to leave the meeting, an order that led to other fresh altercations between the party leader and his opponents. The matter was later resolved.
The bright side of the meeting was when a serving senator volunteered to meet a former governor from the same geo political zone to work ways of sharing out the congress forms. This attracted applause from party leaders.
However, a mild drama ensued at the car park of the hotel when a former member of Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Clinton Amadi and Deacon Paul Ajunwa (Ishiopi) was “hijacked” by an aggrieved group of party members led by Ebere Chukwuemeka (ABJ). The former lawmaker was said to have escaped with the ward congress forms for his local government before he was intercepted by his opponents.
A mild fight occurred before the matter was settled and the forms shared 50-50 per faction supervised by a former council chairman, Oshieze Vincent Ehirim
While the congress eventually took place at various wards, different methods were adopted in conducting the exercise. Most leaders went back to their wards and duplicated the delegates list which further caused so much confusion. While Option A4 was adopted in most wards monitored by our reporters, there were cases of the forms being snatched away by thugs loyal to some party leaders in some local governments.
At Imeriennwe ward in Ngor Okpala local government area, there was fracas between members of the party who opposed the option a4 mode of voting. This led to injuries inflicted on many party members.
The State representative in the National Population Commission, Emma Nworgu was alleged to have ignited the fracas when he observed the matter was not going his way. He is a loyalist of former Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha.
INNONEWS.COM gathered that most party leaders quarreled openly delegates’ lists that will vote at the congress. There were allegations against a member of the House of Representatives, Goodluck Opiah who was said to have hijacked the delegates list of Ohaji/Egbema/Oru East delegate list
A party member in the area, Everest Ezeagu narrated to our reporter how he was beaten up when he protested.
In Owerri municipal, three wards were cancelled over snatching forms from suspected thugs as rival factions engaged in unconventional methods to outwit the other.
There were reports in Okigwe area that the two leaders in the area came up with various delegates’ lists.
As at Sunday, our reporters sighted hundreds of party members at the same hotel awaiting the final compilation of the results.
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