Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Barely eight months after losing control of the state, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, support group, has called for the sack of the party’s Chairman in Abia State, Rt. Hon. Asiforo Okere, accusing him of incompetence.
The group known as Abia PDP Redemption Movement for 2027, said that the party had recorded its worst woes under the watch of the Abia former Speaker, hence the call for his removal.
According to the group, the humiliation of PDP at the 2023 general election in Abia after holding sway since 1999, was as a result of Okere’s lack of focus.
The call for Okere’s sack was contained in a statement jointly signed by the group’s Chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Kelechi; Secretary, Ignatius Ahanekwu; Abia North representative, Kalu Ike Ukah; Daniel Nwokocha, and Nma Okezie for Abia Central, and Abia South respectively.
The statement read in part: “It is no longer news that PDP has lost Power in Abia State they held since 1999. It is no longer news that the 2023 elections organised by Hon. Allwell Asiforo is the worst since inception of PDP starting from the primaries to general election.
“It is no longer news that an elected member of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Arron Uzodike has not been sworn in and the party has not done any practical thing other than weightless press conferences.
“It is no longer news that Abia PDP has no Secretariat. It is no longer news that Abia PDP has recorded more defections than any other party in the history of party politics in Nigeria.
“It is no longer news that Abia PDP has no leader and the party is in disarray. It is no longer news that Abia PDP is living on a shadow of itself.
“Therefore, having seen all these anomalies and determined to ensure that Abia PDP doesn’t die untimely, we support the call for the sack and removal of Hon. Allwell Asiforo, as the Chairman.
“This is as a result of the Chairman’s incompetence; high-handedness, self-centeredness, grandstanding and lack of team spirit.
“In addition his face has brought an unprecedented woes to Abia PDP and Asiforo has to go.”
The group urged the national leadership of the PDP to remove Asiforo without further delay in line with the party’s constitution.
“Consequently, we call on BOT of the party, NWC of the party and SWC of the party, to rise to the occasion and sack Allwell Asiforo as enshrined in the PDP Constitution.”
The group appealed to PDP members not to despair but renew their confidence in the party, claiming that “help is on the way.”
In a swift response, the Publicity Secretary of the party, Elder Abraham Amah, dismissed the group as “faceless,” and urged members of the public to ignore it.
Arguing that success is a collective responsibility, the PDP Spokesman said it was unfair to blame the Chairman for the woes of the party when he delivered the party’s candidates in his polling unit and ward.
Elder Amah challenged the party’s stakeholders and all those calling for Okere’s head to show evidence of their performance in their own polling units and wards.
He said: “In every organisation including political parties, it takes collective responsibility to succeed. Unfortunately, PDP has only one candidate in the House of Representatives but that candidate is from the immediate constituency of our Chairman. The PDP candidate also won clearly in his booth and ward.”
Responding to the allegation of high-handedness, Amah said such issue could only be raised by the State Working Committee, adding that “such has never been raised against him by the SWC.”
On the mass defection that has hit the party, Elder Amah said it was not peculiar to PDP, arguing that it is characteristic of Nigeria politicians.
According to him the decampees are being driven by hunger and personal interests.
“The issue of mass defection has been a tradition of Nigeria politicians for years, and many of those defecting are driven by hunger. Some of them are those who want to protect their business interest.”
“They are not persons even the parties they are joining can trust because any slightest thing they will move to another party.”
Amah said that the party needed to know those behind the group.
