PDP condemns Ikpeazu’s commissioner for daring NWC

Sopuruchi Onwuka

The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly condemned the stark effrontery of the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Eze Chikamnayo, on the National Working Committee’s decisions on the party’s candidates in the imminent governorship election in the state.

The intervention of the NWC of the PDP in the gubernatorial candidature in the state followed the sudden demise of the party’s leading candidate, the late Prof Uche Ikonne, and the furtive attempts by some elements in the party to displace the deceased’s running mate with whom he had driven the party’s campaigns.

The Oracle Today reports that the late Prof Ikonne had worked harmoniously with his running mate in the race, Barr Okey Igwe, to deploy funds and drove the UchendiAbia Campaign deep into the way when the party’s governorship candidate took what became terminal illness.

While he was in the hospital, Barr Igwe had continued with the campaign for the party while hoping for rapid recovery of his the leading candidate in the race.

With the announcement of Prof Ikonne’s demise, the party had met to select Okey Ahiwe to replace Prof Ikonne, but some interests also wanted Barr Igwe who was unanimously selected as the party’s Deputy Governorship candidate to be replaced at the dying minute after sinking huge investments in the campaign.

The resulting dispute called for intervention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party which ruled that only the deceased candidate should and would be replaced in line with the provisions of the law.

And in a letter of February 20, 2023 the National Chairman of PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, and the partyt’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, reminded the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the party had in July 2022 “forwarded the name of Igwe Phillip Okey as its Abia State Deputy Governorship candidate for the forthcoming general elections.”

The party also told INEC that following a fresh primary to replace the deceased governorship candidate in the state, it “mistakenly and inadvertently” submitted another name as the Deputy Governorship candidate for Abia State.

“By this letter, the Party hereby affirms that Igwe Phillip Okey remains the Party’s Deputy Givernorship Candidate for Abia State in the forthcoming elections,” the party declared to INEC.

Despite the clarification by the national leaders of the party, Mr Eze Chikamnayo has reportedly challenged the decision of the national leaders of the party in various public statements to the chagrin of the Publicity Secretary of the party in Abia State, Hon. Elder Abraham Amah, who has risen to describe the commissioner as irresponsible.

In a counter statement, Hon. Amah stated that Eze Chikamnayo has overreached himself as the Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the Abia State PDP Campaign Council. He said the commissioner is no position to contend with the decision of the party’s leadership.

He described the public statements of Eze Chikamnayo on the matter as unauthorized, unguarded and characteristically uncouth, base and abusive.

“He failed to prove beyond any doubt that the letter duly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party was not authentic but rather took the unprofessional path of descent to abuses on the person of the Party’s spokesperson.

“That is nothing but an unclothed show of desperation and the Party would not tolerate such inanities from an operative of the government.

“It is not the responsibility of the State Working Committee, SWC of the PDP to submit names of candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, but the responsibility of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Party.

“In this instance, the NWC of the Party in its wisdom wrote a letter stating clearly that it mistakenly submitted the name of Jasper Uche as the running mate to Okey Ahiwe and in the same letter stated that Phillip Okey Igwe remains the authentic running mate to Okey Ahiwe. That is what it is and there’s nothing any level of desperation or arm twisting can do to change the position.

“The Abia PDP State Working Committee, SWC, has had a very cordial working relationship with the NWC of the PDP since its inauguration two years ago and is not about to usurp or attempt to usurp the functions/powers of the NWC.

“Again, the Abia PDP maintains that there is no confusion in the Abia PDP as regards who is the deputy governorship candidate of the Party in the Saturday March 11, gubernatorial election.

“We call on members of the Abia PDP to disregard the infantile tantrums of Eze Chikamnayo and work to support the victory of our guber candidate Sir Okey Ahiwe and his running mate, Barr Phillip Okey Igwe in the March 11, governorship election.”