Under the auspices of the Concerned PDP Stakeholders Forum, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State have vowed to stay loyal to their party.
Following their meeting in Enugu, they spoke to reporters on Friday and expressed their position.
This occurs in the midst of speculation that Governor Peter Mbah intends to switch to the All Progressives Congress, or APC.
Nonetheless, the PDP Forum pledged to stay in the party, claiming that they are made up of founding members.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other individuals who have so far defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were confronted by the group’s leader, Ozo Okey Ozoani, who is the state’s immediate past vice chairman of the PDP.
According to him, the party remained united, and the Forum, which is composed of stakeholders from wards and local government areas, would not stand by and watch as certain individuals split the party.
“We are concerned about the situation in the PDP and the departure of some of our members to other political parties, especially the ADC.
“We are here to rekindle the hope and support of our members to PDP and to tell them that the PDP is a party to beat,” he stated, recalling that Enugu had remained a PDP state right from its formative stage in 1998.
Ozoani said some of the members were beginning to feel that the PDP was no longer strong, stressing, however, that “we are here to rekindle their interest, to tell them that the PDP is intact and there is nothing that will make the PDP not to win the coming elections.”
“Enugu people don’t know any other party expect PDP; it is very difficult to go to the wards and tell people about any other party,” he added, lamenting that some founding leaders caused problems in the party “and are now detecting to ADC and the other parties.”
He said the Forum would reach out to stakeholders that were aggrieved, as well as those who feel they were not being carried along.
On whether they would defect with the governor to the APC or any other party, he said: “It is still a rumour.
“That is why we thank the likes of Wike, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Ortom and the others, because there was a little problem over the National Secretary position but they settled that issue.
“The people decamping from the PDP are the people that caused the problem concerning National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
“Anyanwu has never been removed, from the onset, from the convention; the constitution of PDP said someone who wants to run for election may resign; so, he took to the other side. He came back to his office and they remembered it late. When he left, that’s when they could have removed him, but they allowed him to contest and come back.
“These people that are leaving for ADC and other parties now, were the people who were causing the trouble. They want to destroy PDP before they leave, but you can see that the PDP is stable, we held our 101 NEC meeting, where it was stamped.”
When asked his position on the threat by the South-East PDP to quit the party if SKE Ude-Okoye was not made National Secretary, he said it was a wrong step.
“That was very uncalled for, because the South-East never thought about brotherhood, the person they want to remove is a South-East man; the South-East got positions for national executive of the party. Enugu got Assistant Treasurer, Imo got National Secretary, now if you are saying that Enugu should produce National Secretary, we add it to Deputy National Treasurer, what does Imo get? So it doesn’t make sense.
“If the governor leaves as you people are speculating, some people will not leave, somebody like me will not go; and there are so many other people that will not go. Enugu people are not going to go with him. Until it happens, you will see that,” he declared.
Also speaking, Engr Nicholas Obiora Ozonsi, a former chairman of Udi local government area, and former aide to ex-Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu said the governor had not openly informed anyone that he was defecting.
“Right now, the governor has not made any official statement; those who are trying to tear the PDP, we will not give them chance.
“We want to ensure that if anything happens overnight, that the PDP does not collapse, that the PDP does not die.
“If anything happens tomorrow, next tomorrow, there are still people who will say, on PDP we stand.
“So, we are supporting our governor as long as he is in the PDP, as long as Chinwike is the party chairman of the PDP, but if anything happens overnight, those of us will remain in PDP and we will continue to preach PDP and tell the people what those who have decamped, who may decamp, have benefited from PDP.
“On the PDP we stand and we are standing to support anyone supporting PDP,” he vowed.
