Imo PDP chairman suspended
By Ben Duru
correspondent, Owerri
Trepidation soaked members of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State when the chairman, Dr. Alex Obi, otherwise
believed untouchable, was suspended for anti-party activities.
Faithful of the PDP fear that if Obi
could be dealt with then nothing is certain again in the party. They always
believed he enjoys the patronage of the national headquarters in Abuja.
Apparently dumbfounded by this, Obi and other top leaders in
the state have been avoiding journalists lest they make any comment that may be
used against them.
Phone calls to the suspended chairman on his landline and GSM
handset are not answered. Sources said he is still in town but would not talk
to anyone about what has befallen him.
The sources said he is awaiting the return of Governor Achike
Udenwa at whose prompting he committed the offence for which he was suspended.
It was learnt that Obi’s offence was his tacit support
for the party’s secretary who gave evidence at a tribunal sitting in Imo
against a member of the party.
The party secretary had gone to the state
elections tribunal hearing the suit filed by the Justice Party (JP) candidate
in the May 3, 2003 House of Assembly Elections for Ihitte/Uboma against the PDP
candidate.
The PDP candidate, Chief Owuamalam was
declared winner of the election against the wish of the PDP hierarchy who were
said to have urged the JP loser to seek redress at the tribunal. Though it is
not known yet why the party rose against one of its own, the national working
committee was said to have frowned at the action of the executive in Imo.
Some of those who ventured comments said they are waiting for
the governor to return from his trip to an African country.
They said as loyalists to the party they would not want to
jump the gun and make comments that may not be in tandem with that of the
leader.
They said a meeting has been scheduled outside the party
secretariat to discuss the implications of the suspension slam on Obi and seek
ways of resolving the problems.
Obi, who is
nursing the ambition to contest the 2007 governorship election, is said to be
keeping to himself and not willing to talk about the suspension until the
governor returns.
