More facts have emerged from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State Chapter, why the party decided to expel over twenty heavyweights of the party in the state.
It would be recalled that in a release made available to Newsmen by the party in the state signed by the State Chairman, Barr (Sir) Nnamdi Anyaehie and the twenty seven Chairmen of the party, twenty top members were sacked.
They are: Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Chief Jerry Chukwueke, Chief Gibson Achonwa Njemanze (Oyiga), Chief Humphrey Anumudu, Chief C.Y. Amako, Chief Charles Amadi (Chavon), Barr Kingsley Ononuju, Dr Evang Ethel Okere, Hon Jones Uzoka, Hon Nkem Nwankwo, Hon Independence Ogunewe, Prof Nnamdi Obiaraeri and Barr Bethel Nzimako. Others are Ogbuagu Celestine Uwakwe, Dr J.C.N. Harcourt, Engr Sunny Heart Ibe, Chief Azubuike Ekwegh, Hon Jeph Ojinika, Chief J.I.J. Njoku and Chief Stan Nzekwe.
Speaking to Trumpeta, the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Kizito Onuoha told this Newspaper that the aforementioned members were expelled after a committee set up by the party to investigate its erring members found them wanting.
He said except for Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, whose anti-party activities were glaring and therefore was not invited, others were invited to come explain their activities during the last general election.
The State Publicity Secretary maintained that the above expelled members had damning reports indicting them from their Ward Chairmen to the LGA Chairmen.
Chief Onuoha said more erring members would be expelled from their Wards, as such people do not warrant spending spaces mentioning their names by the State Exco.
Meanwhile, the signatures of the State Secretary, Sir George Egu and the State Organising Secretary, Chief Livinus Iroha (Bekebe) were missing from the document signed by the entire State Working Committee expelling the accused members.
When contacted on phone, Sir George Egu said he was not ready to speak to the Press now on the matter. However, the State Publicity Secretary, Chief Onuoha said both Egu and Bekebe excused themselves from signing the document that expelled the top members.
Reacting to the expulsion of these political heavyweights from PDP, Evangelist Chinwe Obinna, the Director General of Salvation Front Initiative, SFI, and an Ally of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume told Trumpeta that the entire Imo State Executive should rather have resigned by now en mass than expelling those he said are the pillars of Imo PDP. He disclosed that Imo PDP Executive should be ashamed of leading the party woefully to failure in the last general elections than have the temerity to expel its members.
Also reacting, Dr Evang Ethelbert Okere who spoke to Trumpeta from Abuja said he was engrossed on more important assignments to pay attention to Imo PDP distractions, pointing that the PDP over-dramatised the issue, which he said reeks of anger, vengeance and frustration on the side of the over forty people who signed the said document. Okere said he remains in PDP, and supported President Jonathan with his write-ups both in National and Local Media.
A source from Senator Ifeanyi Araraume’s Campaign Office, Onitsha road, said the Senator is far more ahead than Imo PDP, pointing out that what Imo PDP needs now is to beg members to join its fold not sacking the few people it has, as the Imo PDP will crumble irredeemably in the next few months.
“Let me tell you that by August this year, you will count members of Imo PDP with your fingers. The party is dead in Imo State and now struggling like a beheaded Snake. Who is there now to fund the party? Forget Imo PDP, they are jesters.” Trumpeta was told.
Hon Nkem Nwanwo and Hon Jones Uzoka who are former members of Imo House of Assembly asked rhetorically when last anybody saw them in PDP functions, pointing out that a party full of impunity and arrogance will always suffer set backs.
Hon Independence Ogunewe, a former member of the House of Representatives and Director General of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume Governorship Campaign Organisation said the Horse had already bolted out of the Barn before Imo PDP started closing the door.
Chief Chief Amadi (Chavon) who led the demolition of Chef Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu’s political Kingdom in Ikeduru LGA said through one of his Aides that time for change has come, as the youths of Imo State want progress and development, wherever they can find them.
Barr Kingsley Ononuju said he has found peace among the progressives, which suits his political temperament.
Meanwhile PDP Chieftain and former Governorship Aspirant in the state, Barrister Humphrey Anumudu has described his purported suspension from the party as the biggest joke of the century.
Anumudu who was among the foremost Governorship Aspirants during the just concluded primaries rather called for the sack of the Barrister Nnamdi Anyaehie State-led PDP Executive for the failure to lead the party to victory in the just concluded general elections.
The business Mogul who said that he is reluctant to react to such a frivolity by the State Executive Working Committee said that they are only but a group of political traders who have no reference and knowledge of party constitution.
He said that though he has not told anybody that he had left or will leave the PDP, but if he wishes to do so, he will formally tell his teeming supporters in Imo State about such a decision.
Anumudu who described the news as a distraction, said that he is still busy pondering on the events of the past election in the country and the way forward for the Igbos in Nigerian polity.
Pointing out that, “Anyaehie and his cohorts should bury their faces in shame for leading the Imo PDP to such a shameful outing in the history of the party in the state.”
Continuing, he asked, “Is there any moral justification in the action of a party leadership which failed to win election in the State? Are they not supposed to focus attention on the way forward by doing a post mortem of what happened beginning from the party congress, primaries to the election proper?”
He maintained that the only way forward for the party in Imo Sate is to flush out the current Executive of the party and replace them with men and women of character, integrity and commitment rather than trusting the party in the hands of political contractors.
