Two PDP factions hold parallel 3-man delegate congress in Ebonyi

From Chinedu Nwafor,Abakaliki

Two factions in Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday struggling to seize the structure of the party in the state have held parallel congresses to elect 3-man delegate Congress ahead of the party’s primary elections billed for this month.

It was gathered that the panel set up by the national leadership of the party for the State congress also divided along the two factions.

Three out of the five-man Central Panel including the Panel Chairman, for the congress allegedly aligned with Senator Obinna Ogba’s faction, while other members of the panel, mostly the local government returning officers for the congress, aligned with the Mr Silas Onu, the PDP State chairman’s faction, said to have the backing of Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, a governorship aspirant.

Mr Ogba is the incumbent Senator representing Ebonyi Central Senatorial zone and governorship aspirant on the platform of the PDP.

Ogba who  spoke with journalists on Saturday insisted there was no parallel 3-man delegate congress in the State.

He said there was no two committees set up by the national leadership of the party for the exercise.

Ogba said the Committee Chairman, Hon Calistus Anyanwu distributed materials for the exercise to the local government returning officers Saturday morning.

He expressed home that the congress would be peaceful and transparent.

He said, “The congress is now ongoing in 171 wards across the State. As you are aware, this is the third time we have tried to do this congress and one thing or the other will disrupt it, but we thank God that today, it’s finally being conducted. I hope that at the end of the day, it will be very successful.

“I believe strongly that the outcome of the congress will be successful and acceptable to all members.

On whether the national leadership of the party constituted two panels for the exercise, Ogba said, “Our party can never do that and they will never do that. We have only one committee for this congress from the national.

“ Remember that the national leadership of the party disbanded the committee that conducted that last congress that was cancelled and constituted a new five-man committee for today’s Congress.

“So, there is nothing like two committees for the congress. It was the the chairman of the panel, Hon Calistus Anyanwu, and his members who came to the party Secretariat to distribute the material this morning, but the entrance gate of the State PDP Secretariat was barricaded by security men who could not allow them inside, and they stayed in front of the Secretariat to distribute the materials for the congress”, he added.

Also, in an interview with the State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr Nwoba Chika, at party Secretariat on Saturday, he said the exercise held successfully.

He said the party leadership received local government returning officers for the Congress in the Secretariat Saturday afternoon, who later addressed the party members before leaving to the LGAs for the exercise.

Nwoba said, “The Local government returning officers for the congress were in the party Secretariat where the met with party members and displayed the result sheets they came with for everybody to see, before the left for the LGAs for the congress.

“As I talk with you now the exercise is ongoing and we hope it will be peaceful and successful. 

Asked whether he knew that another group was holding a similar congress for the PDP in the State, he said, “I am not aware that anybody distributed materials apart from the one distributed few hours ago.

“If anybody was in possession of any material before now, I may not be aware but they displayed the one they came with (referring to the local government returning officers) and we believe that that’s the most authentic one. 

“I believe that at the end, the result will be collected and it will please every member of PDP in the State”, he concluded.