Olisa Metuh Hospitalized

The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, was yesterday rushed to the National Hospital in Abuja after the swivel chair he was sitting  on caved-in, forcing him to fall and spraining his waist in the process.

The incident occurred just as the party National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, was about to inaugurate caretaker committees for the Borno and Yobe States chapters of the party.
Metuh, who was said to have complained of a reoccurring pain in his spinal cord area, sat down on the chair oblivious of its faulty state and immediately crashed to the ground.

In the ensuing pandemonium, his aides swung into action and helped Metuh into a waiting car which took him to the National Hospital.
THISDAY gathered that the PDP spokesman was immediately moved into the intensive care unit of the hospital for medical attention.

As at the time of filing this report, the PDP spokesman was still receiving treatment.
Ahead of the party’s congresses in Kebbi and Borno States, the national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has mandated that the party’s new membership cards will be used in the states.
The national chairman of PDP, stated this while inaugurating a nine-member caretaker committee each for Kebbi and Borno States.

Speaking during the inauguration of the caretaker committees, Sheriff charged  them to be upright, steadfast and impartial in their assignments.

He charged the congress committee to ensure that the exercise is conducted in a free and fair manner.
Sheriff who warned against disenfranchising party members at the congresses, added: “Because of the volatility of the states, we will use the existing membership register but with new cards.”

He said it was the hope of the party that the new executives would work to reposition the party, adding that the party selected the right calibre of personalities that will deliver results to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

Speaking on behalf of members of the committee, the chairman of the Borno State caretaker committee, Alhaji Rilwan Dauda, assured the party that they will take charge of the responsibility assigned to them by conducting free and fair party congresses and ensure that the party moves forward in the state.

On his part, the chairman of caretaker committee, Hon. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau, said: “We are going to take charge  of the responsibility bestowed on use and ensure that we carry out the exercise to the best of our capability . We will ensure that at the end of the day the overall interest of the party is achieved in the state congresses.”

Meanwhile, a peace meeting of Anambra State PDP stakeholders held at the party’s national secretariat yesterday failed to reach a truce as most of the party leaders from the state left the venue not satisfied. It was learnt that the leaders of various factions of the party in the state could not hide their long drawn acrimony as they had fierce exchanges during the meeting before the situation was calmed down by Sheriff.

Addressing the members, Sheriff warned that the national leadership of the party might be forced to wield the big stick if efforts to reconcile the factions fail.
He urged the stakeholders to sheathe their sword and accept to work together in order to achieve a peaceful congress ahead of the May 21 national convention.

Similarly, the  national woman leader of the PDP, Dr. Kema Chikwe, has said she will not seek reelection ahead of the May 21 national convention of the party, to be held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

She said the party had made a lot of impact in its effort to mobilise the womenfolk to participate in politics and affairs of the country.