. Assistant Secretary Usurps Chairman’s Position
.Inaugurates New State Working Committee Members
.As Ihedioha, Anyanwu’s Loyalists Battle For Soul of Party
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Imo State chapter rather than abate, is developing more wings, as the latest trouble that will tear to shreds whatever remained of the party in Imo State rears its ugly head now.
The current confusion is caused by the Zonal Secretary of the party in Orlu Zone, Mr Njaka Duruiheoma, said to have on Wednesday signed and issued Appointment letters to some persons to replace vacant positions in the party.
This situation has raised uproar in the party, necessitating barrage of questions as how a Zonal Secretary got the Executive power to issue appointment letters to State Working Committee SWC members of Imo State PDP.
The Imo PDP State Legal Adviser, Barr Kingsley Ikoku reacted through a letter directed to the State Chairman, Chief Charles Ugwu, raising issues of irregularities in the act, pointing out that PDP has a constitutional way of doing her things.
Ikoku said that action of the Zonal Secretary, Njaka Duruiheoma, amounts to abuse of office and a disrespect to PDP constitution, and the State Chairman, as he has no power to arrogate himself the position of the Chairman of the party, the State Working Committee, SWC and State Executive Council, SEC.
The Legal Adviser in his letter made it clear that Njaka is a Zonal Secretary but “Co-opted by the State Working Committee SWC to render secretariat services on Acting Capacity in place of the vacant office of the State Secretary”.
He said that Statutorily, Mr Duruiheoma “remains Assistant State Secretary Orlu Zone and cannot arrogate to himself the powers of the statutory member of the State Working Committee”.
Ikoku said that “Article 47(6) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (2017) as amended empowers the State Working Committee acting through the State Executive Committee SEC to appoint a replacement to any vacant office(s) in the SWC. No other person has the constitutional powers to appoint replacements”.
The State Chairman, Engr (Chief) Charles Ugwu in a letter signed by himself regarding the matter described the Zonal Secretary’s action as “Kangaroo Inauguration”.
The State Chairman said that the party’s constitution must be followed in replacing the vacant positions, which is that where a position is left vacant by death or resignation, same place or Zone should Produce who replaces the vacant position.
It would be recalled that seven members of the Imo PDP State Working Committee SWC resigned enmass and joined the opposition All Progressive Congress APC, citing disagreement between the Governorship candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu as reason for leaving the party.
Since then, the SWC hardly holds meetings as the vaccum left by the resignation of these party officials created a situation where there is no quorum for the SWC to seat and take critical decisions.
A source from PDP told Trumpeta that because of time factor and closeless of the Governorship election, the PDP could not properly replace the vacant positions, but simply allowed a “makeshift” appointments as made by the Governorship candidate to remain until the elections are over in order not to disrupt his campaigns.
Now that the elections are over, the sources said the Imo PDP allowed the candidate to atleast sort himself out with the legal issues surrounding his election, after which the party will call a general meeting to look into the replacements and other issues bothering the party.
“But we were surprised when, without consultations or following due process, these fellows who worked with the candidate branzenly and without following the party constitution carried out what they called inauguration of new Appointees, with the go-ahead of the candidate” Trumpeta was told.
Many PDP members who spoke to this Newspaper said that the latest action by Imo PDP State Executive members loyal to Senator Samuel Anyanwu was a deliberate act to continue to keep Imo PDP in crisis to the plan of their principal.
“But we shall overcome all these challenges. Senator Anyanwu wanted to be National Secretary, we allowed him. He said he wanted to be Governorship candidate we allowed him. So, what else does he want?
We know he wants Imo PDP dead, but that is not our own plan, and therefore will continue to follow peaceful means and due process until we restore the dignity in our party” a source told Trumpeta.
Already, there exists two parallel Groups in the party, with one Group loyal to former Governor of Imo State, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha and another with Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
Many had assumed that after the Governorship election peace will return to Imo PDP, not knowing that another round of crisis period is here.
