PDP Crisis

Abuja — Crisis in the Enugu state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is yet to abate as a meeting convened by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to resolve the lingering crises ended in fiasco, with Governor Sullivan Chime working out on them.
The meeting which lasted several hours at the party's national secretariat was held behind close doors but with the rising tempers and shouts slipping out of the doors to the public.
The party has been screening all the aspirants of the party who had purchased nomination forms to contest various elective posts and who have been seeking the endorsement of party members to allow them fly the party's flag in next year's general election.
But due to the problem created on the insistence of Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, the national chairman of the party, that it would adhere to the advisory from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that Engr. Vita Aba, the Enugu state chairman of the party was not validly elected, peace eluded all sections of the party in the state.
Several prominent Nigerians including President Goodluck Jonathan and the Catholic Bishop of Enugu, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, had unsuccessfully intervened to broker peace to no avail as neither Nwodo nor Chime would budge.
While Chime's camp insists that Nwodo lacks the moral right to support any move to declare Aba executive illegal, being the one which granted him the waiver that made him national chairman of the party, Nwodo insisted that he would not renege on the direction issued by INEC.
Yesterday, Chime visited the NWC to seek a way out of the quagmire but the meeting ended in deadlock, with Chime storming out of the national secretariat of the party.
Consequently, the screening of the aspirants for the PDP in Enugu state could not commence as scheduled due to the disagreement. It has been rescheduled to hold at the party's national secretariat, Abuja instead of Enugu and to be supervised by the party's NWC.
Governor Chime who appeared before the NWC about 1pm first went to confer with the deputy national chairman, Haliru Adamu Mohammed for about two hours before he eventually met with the NWC.
It was believed that development such as the court verdict that quashed Enugu state government appeal over the contentious congress as well as the need to have a rerun congress in the state were also discussed.
The meeting eventually ended at 5.30 pm where it was gathered that Chime walked out on the NWC, though reason for his action is still unknown.
Also, Plateau state chapter of the party also witnessed the state Governor, Jonah Jang meeting with the NWC to resolve problems emanating from the complaints from some aspirants that they were schemed out during the screening.
Daily Champion gathered that the Plateau state screening panel were said to have screened aspirants that are allegedly only loyal to the state government, leaving out all the supporter of the other aspirants to the governorship post.
On Wednesday, the deputy governor, Mrs. Paulen Tallen who is also a governorship aspirant in the state came in the company of numerous aspirants who claimed they were not allowed to partake in the screening exercise.
Though the deputy governor refused to talk to the press after her meeting with the PDP NWC, however a source told our reporter that the party advised Mrs. Tallen to refer her grievances to the screening appeal panel which the party has set up.
The party has also released the list of the gubernatorial screening panel that will take charge of appeals that may result from the screening which has taken place earlier in the week.
In the South-south Prof. Julius Ihonvbhere and Chief Edet Nkpubre will preside, while Rev. Hyde Onuaguluchi and Barr. Olisa Metuh will take charge in the South east.
South west has Mrs. Aduke Maina and Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo; Shaaba Lafiagi and Yusuf Ayitogo for North central. Ambassador Adamu Aliyu, Paul Wampana are for North east, while Bala Kaoje, Dr. Danladi Sankara North west.
The PDP governorship screening of appeals which is expected to hold on the December 26, 2010 at the presidential campaign office, Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja will be chaired by Senator Tunde Ogbeha.