Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Ahead of Saturday’s election, the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State has imploded following massive endorsement by its major stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Francis Nwifuru.
Former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, led the stakeholders who endorsed Mr Nwifuru citing the the need to maintain the charter of equity which stipulates power rotation among the zones and political blocs in the State.
Others include serving and former National Assembly members including Senator Obinna Ọgba, Reps Livings Makwe and Ogbaga Sylvester, and former Rep member, Peter Edeh, and many others.
Groups loyal to both factions of the PDP engaged each other in war of words accusing each other on Friday over the issue.
A group the Ivo PDP Caucus threw its weight behind Mr Anyim, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, for supporting the governorship candidate of the APC.
Senator Anyim had given the endorsement on Wednesday, at his Ishiagu country home, in the Ivo Local Government Area of the state while playing host to Governor Umahi.
He declared his support for the APC governorship candidate, maintaining that equity and justice must not be trampled upon.
But he immediately came under attack by supporters of the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Dr Ifeanyi Odii, who described him as a political betrayer and ‘mis-calculator.’
Mr Odii’s spokesperson, Abia Onyike, described Mr Anyim’s decision as a hasty decision, borne out of self- aggrandisement and a criminal betrayal of Ebonyi people. “For Anyim to abandon the anti-Umahi struggle which culminated in Umahi’s carpet crossing from PDP to APC in November, 2020, is a very dangerous display of ideological barrenness.
“Anyim has lost whatever integrity he had left in him after his abysmal outing in the PDP Presidential primaries where he had only 14 votes, out of the 95 votes allocated to South East delegates”, he said
But in a swift response, the Ivo PDP Caucus, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Oliver Osi, said the Odii’s group is a sinking ship whose nautical frustration was imminent.
The statement read in part, “We have read with amusement the vituperation of a group of drowning buccaneers shamelessly represented by Chief Abia Onyike, a man who has lost every relevance, sense of responsible citizenship and decorum, traumatised by the ghosts of his own failures.
“No one would have bothered to dignify a sinking bunch with a response but for the sensibilities of Ndi Ebonyi who Abia Onyike and his co-losers hope would be taken on a roller-coaster of their satanic obfuscation.
“The sorry group of crying buccaneers know very well that it lacks any moral high ground to criticize Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim’s well thought out decision to support the effort to sustain the delicate socio-political balance of Ebonyi by supporting the North to produce the next governor of Ebonyi State.
“The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State was never deceived by false philanthropy of someone whose mission, was always to destroy Ebonyi PDP to the advantage of his paymasters.
“It must be mentioned that the governorship ticket of the PDP Ebonyi State is still pending before the Supreme Court, arising from the misadventure of the party’s national leadership which shot itself in the foot when it arrogantly decided to disregard the judgement of the Court of Appeal in the chairmanship tussle of the Ebonyi State chapter.
“It would be absolutely correct therefore to infer that, as of today, the PDP has no valid governorship candidate in Ebonyi.
“That is the truth that the hungry crying wolves that masquerade as Campaign Council members feeding fat off a mugu who knows no better, would give anything to keep from Ndi Ebonyi.
This is the Campaign Council that could not deliver 25% in Presidential and National Assembly elections, after receiving huge sum of money to prosecute the election.
“Well, it is okay if they think that by denigrating His Excellency Sen. Anyim and the State Chairman of PDP they will find the peace and solace that have eluded their hungry souls for so long.
“Let these lot be made aware, however, that Ebonyi people are fully aware that Mr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii is merely playing to the gallery. He is not running for governor”, the group said.
