Anambra governorship election tears PDP apart
National Chairman, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur
THERE
was a sharp disagreement in the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday
over the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State as the
party’s candidate, Tony Nwoye, openly flayed the national headquarters
and state chapter of the party for praising the conduct of the poll.
The National Publicity Secretary of the
PDP, Mr. Olisa Metuh, had on Sunday described the election as ‘free and
fair’ even when Nwoye joined his All Progressives Congress and Labour
Party counterparts, Chris Ngige and Ifeanyi Ubah, respectively in
calling for its cancellation.
On Wednesday in Awka, the Chairman of
the state chapter, Mr. Ken Emeakayi, did the same as Metuh by
describing the poll as credible.
Emeakayi had told a news conference that the PDP would participate in the supplementary election, which Nwoye is against.
Emeakayi had told the journalists that
the decision to commend and participate in the supplementary election
was taken at an emergency meeting of the state working committee of the
party.
He said, “We state categorically and
unequivocally that the PDP will participate in the supplementary
election in the contentious areas of the state as announced by
INEC(Independent National Electoral Commission), and we charge our
members to continue to remain calm and focused.”
He accused the APC of trying to cause
disaffection within the PDP by using some members to make statements
that were inimical to the position of the PDP on the election.
But a miffed Nwoye, through his campaign
organisation, said he was surprised “that certain highly placed
officers of the party” could go to the press to make comments about
the election without consulting him.
Nwoye, through his campaign
organisation, dissociated himself from the position of the state
working committee of the PDP.
At a separate news conference also on
Wednesday, the Director-General of the organisation, Mr. Osita
Ezenwa, said, “The election has been poorly conducted and what remains
is for INEC to conduct a fresh election. If we win, fine. If we don’t,
we will congratulate the winner.”
Ezenwa, in company with Ken Arinze and
Clems Ezika, added, “I don’t see why someone should be in a hurry to
congratulate INEC or any other person on an election that has not been
concluded.”
The organisation later released a statement in which it condemned Metuh for commending the election without consulting it.
The statement from its ICT and
Communication Unit was signed by Ikeagwuonwu Chinedu, Okwu Okwu,
Ikechukwu Onyia and Orjika Chidi.
The statement reads in part , “It is a
common knowledge that the Anambra State governorship election that held
across the state on November 16, 2013, was marred by irregularities.
“There has been widespread condemnation of the exercise by members of the civil society groups, Anambrarians, the Conference of Nigerian Political parties and election observers and monitors.
“Even Prof. Jega went on air to apologise to Anambrarians on the poor conduct of the election.
“In spite of these flaws and more
witnessed during the exercise, Metuh went on air to announce that the
election was free and fair
“In a show of shame, Metuh made his
statement giving credibility to an election in which his candidate and
all his family members, including some of his cousins were
disenfranchised and prevented from voting.”
It wondered why the PDP spokesperson did not contact Nwoye before making his “shameful statement.”
The organisation also accused him of sabotaging the PDP during the election.
Source: The Punch
