PDP Sacks Factional Executive Committees in Anambra

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Anambra

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dissolved all the existing factional executive committees of the party in Anambra State.

The party also said it would in due course appoint a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the PDP in the state pending when it would be auspicious to elect executive committees at all levels.

Before now, two PDP factional executives, led by Ken Emeakayi and Chief Ejike Oguebego had engaged each other in a battle of wits over who takes charge of the party in the state.

However, the decision to sack the factional state executives came after the meeting of the state PDP stakeholders and the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi thursday.

At the stakeholders’ meeting, the leaders opted for a caretaker committee as a means to unite all the contending forces in the Anambra State chapter ahead of the November 18 governorship election.

A statement issued by the PDP spokesman, Dayo Adeyeye, shortly after the meeting, said: “NCC in exercise of its powers under Section 31, (2)(E) today dissolved all the existing factional executive committees of the party in Anambra State.

“The NCC will in due course, appoint a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the PDP in the state pending when it will be auspicious to elect executive committees at all levels.”

Adeyeye said the party wants the leaders to bury all their differences and join hands together in unity towards the victory of the party in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

THISDAY gathered from some of the leaders who attended the meeting that they considered the state of affairs in the Anambra chapter and resolved that putting together a caretaker committee will serve to reconcile all the factions that existed in the state.

The PDP stakeholders agreed to nominate one person from each senatorial district in the state to work with the NCC to ensure full reconciliation of all the party leaders.

Also former governors elected on the platform of the PDP met with the Chairman of the NCC, Senator Ahmed Makarfi as part of consultations to chat a way forward for the recovering opposition party.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting with the leadership of NCC, the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi said the meeting dwelt on how the party can work as a family in helping to build a better Anambra State.
When asked what the stakeholders is doing to resolve the crisis in the Anambra chapter, he said that efforts are on to address the turbulence.
He also spoke on the meeting of ex- governors with Makarfi, saying the meeting went well.
“It was a discussion on how we can all be part of the effort to get the PDP to effectively play its role as the opposition party to help build a better Nigeria.”

The Secretary NCC, Senator Ben Obi, said the leadership met two days ago and felt there was need to meet with the stakeholders from Anambra to work out the way forward for the November 18 governorship election.

Obi said: “Anambra will become the first litmus test of unity for the PDP to show its prowess in the governorship election after the Supreme Court victory and shortly after the performance posted by the party in the recently held Osun West senatorial election where the PDP united under one umbrella to defeat the APC.”