Magnus Eze, Enugu
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has restated its resolve not to zone the party’s governorship ticket in next year’s election in Anambra State.
The party also said that it will not hesitate to sanction any recalcitrant members stoking crisis in the Anambra State chapter. National Vice Chairman of the party, South East, Chief Austin Umahi stated this at the party’s emergency zonal working committee meeting held in Enugu, on Friday.
He said: “While reiterating that the PDP is not zoning the governorship, we wish to commend all the gubernatorial aspirants of our party in Anambra State, for their mature politicking; we bring them the assurances of our National Chairman, of a level playing field and the conduct of most transparent primaries”.
Umahi declared that no one was above the party’s constitution, stressing that the zonal leadership will invoke its powers to deal with those who dragged the party to court and had not withdrawn the suits.
The party leader who stated that the meeting was called solely to address the brewing crisis in the Anambra State chapter of the party, called on one Mr. Chukwudi Umeaba and his o-travellers alleged to have opened a parallel party office in Awka, to immediately shut it.
He was emphatic that the ultimate goal of the PDP was to reclaim the governorship seat of the state, adding that the party would expel any member standing on its way to realise the mission.
An eight-point communiqué signed by Umahi and the zonal secretary, Casmir Ugwu, said that Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu remained the authentic and recognised State Chairman of the party.
It however, assured all the plaintiffs that their complaints shall be adequately and timeously addressed by the party leadership in the south east even as they warned fifth columnists within the party to toe the path of honour and join their paymasters in other political parties or face expulsion from the PDP.
“We shall be prepared to enforce all disciplinary processes to smoke them out. The days of merchandising with Anambra PDP is over and done with because we are determined to take the party to the winning side,” they stated.