Cracks in Imo PDP barely one month to governorship election
Senator Samuel Anyanwu
From Cyril Mbah, Abuja.
All is not well within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) family in Imo State barely six weeks to the November 11, 2023 election in the state as some members of the party have started kicking against the governorship candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, for refusing to resign his position as National Secretary of the opposition party.
A rebellious group, it was gathered, has mounted intense pressure on the National Headquarters of the PDP to compel Anyanwu to withdraw from the race or resign as a national officer of the party claiming that holding a dual position violates the constitution of the party.
As a result of the infighting within the party in the state, the PDP has not commenced its campaigns or even kicked-off door-to-door consultations for the candidate and this may throw spanners in the ability of the party to win the election.
The National Headquarters has done all within its powers to douse the tension and agitations in the state to ensure that the party goes into the governorship election as one party rather than a fragmented group by calling the agitators to order and throwing its support behind the national secretary,
National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba issued a stern warning to the agitators last weekend and stating that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not tolerate distractions from disloyal members at this moment.
The statement which was titled "Anyanwu remains our National Secretary and Imo Governorship Candidate," said any group mischievously purporting that the NWC has relieved the candidate in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of his elected position as the National Secretary of the party was not honest.
His words: "The NWC states in very clear terms that the claim by the group is completely false as the NWC did not at any time relieve or contemplate to relieve the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of his position.
"The NWC therefore strongly condemns the action of this group which is obviously the handiwork of those who intend to embarrass, cause disaffection and division in our Party in their attempt to distract the PDP, our Candidate, Senator Anyanwu and the people of Imo State in the quest to rescue the State from the stranglehold of the All Progressives Congress (APC)."
The PDP cautioned that it will not yield to any pressure adding "no matter how strongly an individual or group feels about an issue, resorting to fabrications, lies and claiming a non-existent decision by the NWC is highly condemnable."
Ologunagba urged Nigerians, particularly PDP teeming members and supporters in Imo State to disregard the false claims as Senator Anyanwu remains the National Secretary and the Candidate of the party in the November 11, 2023 Governorship election even as the party charged PDP supporters in Imo State "to remain united, focused, at alert and continue to resist the antics of supressive forces which are bent at distracting our Party in the march to victory on November 11, 2023."