Imo PDP rival factions in fisticuff

From George Onyejouwa,
Owerri
THE cold war between the two parallel factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State got to a head yesterday, as Barrister Nnamdi Anyehie-led exco engaged members of the caretaker committee in a fist cuff at the party’s secretariat and prevented the committee from holding its meeting.
In the ensuing melee, some support­ers of the party sustained varying de­grees of injuries but were later dispersed by armed policemen.
The present caretaker committee chaired by Hon. Vitalis Okafor was on January 29 inaugurated to pilot the af­fairs of the party for three months.
However, trouble started when the Anyaehie led exco and their support­ers stormed the state secretariat with dangerous weapons and descended on the members of the caretaker commit­tee who were already in a meeting and chased everybody away.
Following the intervention of the po­lice, Anyaehie and his supporters drove away in a long convoy for an unknown destination. Okafor, who later addressed newsmen, accused Chief Anyae­hie of scheming to perpetuate himself in office even when his tenure had elapsed.
The caretaker chairman said that the meeting was convened to brief members of the party on the latest development in respect of the legal battle between his committee and that of Nnamdi Anyae­hie which was instituted by the latter.
A statement by the National Public­ity Secretary by the party captioned, “Imo PDP caretaker community not removed” which was made available to Sunday Sun by Okafor reads in part: “The PDP National Working Com­mittee (NWC) wishes to informed all members of the party particularly in Imo State as well as the General public that Hon. Vitalis Okafor led Imo State Caretaker Committee of the party has not been removed but subsists until the conduct of congresses in the state. The NWC clarifies that Imo caretaker com­mittee is still intact. Please be guided ac­cordingly.”
Okafor said “it is regrettable that somebody who parades himself as a party chairman could engage thugs to disrupt a meeting authorized by the Na­tional Publicity Secretary of our party –Chief Oliseh Metu”.
He, therefore, appealed to mem­bers of the party for calm in the face of provocation.