Politics
By Anthony Isibor.
VALENTINE Ozigbo, a former candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the November 2021 Anambra governorship election, has attributed his decision to abandon the Anambra South Senatorial Primary to the rot in the party due to the actions of some party leaders.
Ozigbo said that the entire process leading up to the preparation for the PDP Anambra Chapter for the primary was fundamentally flawed.
In a letter addressed to Senator Iyorchia Ayu, National Chairman of the PDP on 25th May, 2022, Ozigbo said that the overwhelming evidence of the complicity of some members of the National Working Committee, NWC, in days leading up to the final clearance of aspirants to participate in the party primaries, and the actions of Chris Uba, Linus Ukachukwu, with the support of Uche Ekwunife and Stella Oduah, and a few others were the reasons the PDP in Anambra might end up fielding no candidate in the 2023 elections.
He explained that their actions led to a perverted screening process.
“Before the exercise, Chris Uba had openly boasted that he was going to use the screening panel, made up of his minions to disqualify me and other aspirants, who do not kowtow to his brutish methods and he would also use the appeal panel, still made up of his puppets, to ensure that the dubious disqualifications were upheld. Lo, and behold, some members of the screening committees turned out to be domestic staff of Chief Chris Uba.
“Not only that, there were last minute switching of names to suit his agenda of playing the politics of disqualification and subsequent media smears. Despite widespread reservations, I appeared before the panel and everything went well, or so I thought.
In his words, “I will not dignify this mockery of due process and blatant disregard for decency with my continued participation”.
Ozigbo also accused the national leadership of the party of undermining Peter Obi and himself as leaders of the party in the state.
“It is unfortunate that I must remind Your Excellency that as the Governorship candidate of the party in 2021, my jurisdiction is the entire state of Anambra, which voted for me in the election. This makes me the rallying point of leadership next only to HE Peter Obi, as a former governor and Vice-Presidential candidate.
“It is, therefore, shocking to see how this NWC continues to undermine my position to the extent of not even allowing me speak at Anambra Stakeholders meetings. The anomaly and absurdity, which occurred at the meeting of Anambra PDP Chapter and the National Working Committee, on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at Wadata House where decisions were taken with zero input from me, must be corrected otherwise, it would mean that our party is encouraging impunity. My position Your Excellency, this letter formally brings these developments to your attention.
“At every stage in this process, I have had cause to seek your urgent and high-profile intervention in stopping the bleeding of the PDP in Anambra and ensure that due process is followed, justice is done, and that the PDP produces candidates for the upcoming 2023 elections, and the process withstands legal challenges which are sure to follow.
“Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, your interventions have not been encompassing and sufficient. Having experienced the beauty of due process when I participated in the governorship primary under the erstwhile NWC, who insisted that the governorship candidate of the party emerged through merit, fairness, and equity, I can say without any fear of contradiction that the disastrous pre-primary process what has played out in PDP Anambra is due to the irresponsible embrace of an infamous character by some members of the NWC.
Ozigbo also proscribed some ways out of the party crisis in the state and move it forward.
Some of the suggestions include:
- To re-orientate the NWC to stand on the side of due process on all their actions, especially as they relate to Anambra State.
- Hold Chris Uba and his co-travelers accountable for the fate of Anambra aspirants in the upcoming elections.
- Apologise to Ndi Anambra and the PDP faithful for the missteps that have disenfranchised them in the state and national primaries.
- Abide by the process and structure in the PDP which recognizes me as the rallying point of leadership among respectable and responsible leaders of the PDP in Anambra. and
- Investigate these excesses and flagrant abuse of power and office, and discipline all those that had been used to perpetrate evil in PDP Anambra State.
Realnews recalls that Peter Obi, the 2019 vice presidential candidate of the PDP had recently left the party, and joined the Labour Party. He is now the presidential aspirant of the party.
– May. 31, 2022 @ 11:20 GMT | A I.
Tags: Peoples Democratic Party Peter Obi Senator Iyorchia Ayu Valentine Ozigbo
