The ward congress comes before the Local government and State congresses to elect new party officers.
Several nocturnal meetings are ongoing at the ward levels across the State organized by several factions in the party all geared towards ensuring they emerge victorious at the congress.
In Owerri municipal chapter of the party, a fierce war for control of the party structure has been so intense lately.
A particular group aggrieved over the activities of party leaders in the area have come together to ensure they take over the affairs of the party in the 11 wards that make up the municipality.
Led by Hon Ebere Chukwuemeka, the group has held several meetings and has come up with a strong force in the Wards to challenge the existing group which were accused of diverting party funds during the 2015 presidential election.
Another group led by a former local government Chairman and PDP House of Assembly candidate in the 2015 election, Hon Mac Donald Ebere is also co-coordinating a set of party members to win the upcoming congress both at the wards and local governments.
The duos are said to be working for two top leaders of the party who are scrambling for control of the party at the grassroot across the State
The situation is the same in almost all the 27 local governments in the State such as Owerri North, Isu, Ngor Okpala where party members have grouped themselves in factions ahead of the forthcoming congress.
The party at the state level is also factionalized as the caretaker committee battles to stop the rampaging moves of the sacked executive led by Barr Nnamdi Anayehie which is insisting on holding on to the affairs of the party.
It was gathered that the factions in the PDP in Imo State are drawing their strength from some party leaders in the state especially those who are eying the 2019 governorship ticket of the PDP in the State.
This newspaper has many times reported that the contending forces in the party are a former federal lawmaker and a serving senator who are very much interested in the governorship race in 2019.
It is not yet known how the congresses will be conducted in the State where tension has gripped party members who have suffered serial electoral loss since 2011.
The party leadership in Abuja recently announced option A4 as the mode of electing party candidates. It was silent on how the congresses will be conducted. But INNONEWS.COM was told that option A4 will be also applied in the coming congress.
Some leaders of the party in the State are kicking against the conduct of the congress which it has described as a recipe for chaos, rather calling for “harmonization” of various lists flying out from the camps of the contending forces in the party.
“ Harmonization” has led to imposition of party officers a development which has led to the doom of the party in the past. This newspaper had reported before the ward congress was shifted to next Saturday that some party bigwigs were already compiling names of ward executives in hotel rooms and the comfort of their homes.
Majority of party loyalists who spoke to this newspaper insist on free, fair and credible congress to elect those who will lead the party in the next four years.
However, forms for interested party officers who want to be elected as party executives were not available as at Wednesday last week at the state party secretariat, Owerri.
"We are waiting for the forms from Abuja" a party official told this newspaper at the party office. The State Caretaker Chairman of the PDP, Vitalis Okafor could not be reached for comments as he said he was in a meeting when our reporter called.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that some party leaders are saying that all those interested in contesting for various positions should proceed to the field on the day of the congress
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