A disagreement has emerged over the ongoing congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, with party chieftain Chief Amaechi Onowu accusing some individuals of hijacking the process.
Onowu has petitioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, alleging irregularities in the exercise aimed at producing new party leaders in the state.
At the centre of the dispute are concerns over how congress forms are being sold and who is being allowed to participate in the process.
Speaking with journalists at a press conference in Abuja, Onowu, a chairmanship aspirant in the ongoing congresses, expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the exercise.
He explained that the position of state chairman had been zoned to the Anambra Central Senatorial District, where he hails from.
“I am a registered member of the PDP in a ward in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. I want to draw the attention of our national leader and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Barrister Nyesom Wike, to actions allegedly carried out by some political actors who have kept the party in crisis since the era of Chinwoke Mbadinuju until now.
“In Anambra State, certain individuals have allegedly taken control of the congress forms as someone intends to contest for the position of state chairman unopposed, despite currently serving as the chairman of the caretaker committee.
“They have also taken over the entire process of the ongoing congress in the state.
“The chairman of the State Caretaker Committee in Anambra State has reportedly prevented some committed stakeholders and party members from obtaining congress forms to enable them to contest in the exercise.
“This goes against the directive of our leader, Chief Nyesom Wike, who said every registered member should be allowed to participate in the congress to elect the state executive members.
“The sale of chairmanship and other congress forms has been taken over across the 21 local government areas of the state,” Onowu alleged.
He further warned that he would seek legal action by Tuesday next week if the sale of congress forms was not opened to interested party members and transparency restored in the congress process.
