OWERRI — THE crisis in Imo State branch of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, deepened yesterday after three members of the state executive council were sacked and suspended from the party for alleged anti-party activities and corruption. This was part of the resolutions taken at a closed door meeting of the PDP stakeholders in the state, in their attempt to resolve the escalating intra-party crisis that has been threatening to destroy the party structure.
Those who were kicked out and summarily suspended included the former acting Chairman, Chief Edwin Anyanwu, the state Organising Secretary, Mr. Evaristus Igwe and the Assistant Secretary, Owerri Zone, Mr.Okey Ezurike. Scores of party loyalists from the three senatorial zones of the state, including political office holders who attended the emergency meeting, also appointed Chief Richard Onyenobi as the new acting state Chairman of the party.
Speaking to newsmen after his appointment, Chief Onyenobi alleged that since Chief Edwin Anyanwu was appointed acting chairman three months ago, he has not summoned any party meeting. "He did everything alone with one or two people. We do not know the accounts of the party, where it is and how it is run. There is no organisation that can sustain itself without money and our people felt that this is the right time to make a change to save Imo State PDP from total collapse," Onyenobi explained.
According to the new acting chairman, the party made the changes to ensure that it did not die, as well as make sure that whosoever is put there as party chairman will see his position as service to the people. "The people felt that the best we can do is to make this change so that we can move, so that we cannot die. With these changes the party will rise back to its former position before the elections.
"We want a chairman who will be open, a chairman who will understand the sufferings of other people within the party. We do not need a selfish party man," Onyenobi said, explaining that the party loyalists do not need a man who conducts party affairs alone. He stressed that those who have been sanctioned do not have the leadership capabilities to run the party effectively. "If we allow this to continue unchecked, this party will go into shambles. That is the reason why we have decided that there should be a change and the change is what you have seen today," Chief Onyenobi said.
Addressing the party loyalists also, state Vice-Chairman, Orlu Zone, Chief Green Iheka, said they have taken far reaching decisions so as to move the party forward. "Within the past three months, this party has realised to its coffers over N12 million which the immediate past acting chairman cannot account for. The state Financial Secretary does not even know where we have our accounts.
Some accounts recently opened has only one signature and it is the chairman’s signature," Chief Iheka alleged. He said that "the party realised a lot of money and the workers are being owed about three months salaries and allowances."
