Imo PDP stakeholders protest, want state congress cancelled

Dissatisfied members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Imo West(Orlu), yesterday, took over the state secretariat along Okigwe Road, Owerri, Imo State capital and called for the cancellation of the state congress of the party scheduled to hold  today. They alleged that the ward and local government congresses were held in only four out of the 12 council areas of the zone.

The protesters, who called themselves the Coalition of True PDP Democrats displayed placards with different inscriptions such as, “Senator Hope Uzodinma wrote the results, Modu Sheriff is an APC agent,” “No ward and local congress held in Orlu zone,” “ No to writing of results,” “Electoral panel should publish Orlu results.”

This was just as they called on the chairman of the congress  panel and Deputy Governor of Abia State,   Ude Okochukwu to complete the congress in Orlu for peace to reign in the party.

  Addressing newsmen, Dr. Alex Obi alleged many prospective candidates for elective positions were short-changed as only one form was distributed.

He said the implication was that only one contestant bought the form for each post thus shutting out others who had campaigned for and worked hard for those positions.

According to him, “ given this brazen breach of party guidelines, we call for the immediate cancellation of the purported ward and local governments congresses so as to allow party members in the state and especially in Orlu zone where congresses only held in four out of the twelve local areas that make up the senatorial zone to elect their leaders at those levels.

He added, in the same vein, the state congress which has been slated for Tuesday, May 10 2016 should be indefinitely suspended until all issues surrounding the flawed ward and local governments congresses are resolved”

Speaking in the same vein, the immediate past member who represented Ohaji/ Egbema/ Oguta/ Oru East in the House of Representatives, Hon. Gerald Irona alleged that during the last congress that Senator Hope Uzodinma had forcefully snatched the electoral materials meant for eight local governments and had insisted that all electoral materials meant for the zone must be distributed through him.

He said: “we had an audience with the state congress panel headed by the Deputy Governor of Abia state where we reported to him that no congresses were held in eight local governments out of the twelve that make up the Orlu Zone. The electoral panel said that they only acknowledged that congresses were only held in only Four of the councils in Orlu”.

Adding, but we were surprised that results were written for the rest eight councils where congresses never held”.

Hon. Irona said that they will not participate in the state congresses because of the fraudulent conduct of the congress and that the Deputy Governor of Abia state should redeem his integrity by completing the congress in the Orlu.

The former legislator regretted that it was the same impunity that cost the party the 2015 general elections.

“ It is very unfortunate that the PDP will continue with this level of Impunity that was responsible for its failure in the 2015 general elections”.