Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
A group known as PDP Frontiers for Change and Progress, has blasted a former Vice Chairman of the PDP for Abia North, Elder Abraham Amah, for purportedly suspending the Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara.
The group, which addressed a press conference in Umuahia on Tuesday, dismissed as “untrue and a huge joke,” the purported suspension of Wabara.
The National Coordinator of the group, Mr Emeka Yellow Ikpegbu, urged members of the public to totally disregard the purported suspension of Wabara, saying it does not hold water.
According to the group, Amah “lacks the constitutional powers to suspend Senator Wabara.”
The group announced the expulsion of Amah from the PDP for impersonation and for embarrassing the party.
Ikpegbu who further explained that “Abia PDP currently has no state executive contrary to claims by Amah as a valid court injunction had stopped the purported state congress that purportedly produced Amah.”
Describing Amah as “a serial betrayer,” Ikpegbu said he was not surprised the former party spokesman could behave in the manner he did.
“We heard this afternoon that one Amah Abraham parading as Abia PDP Chairman claimed he had suspended the BoT Chairman of our great party, His Excellency, Senator Adolphus Wabara. He even claimed he had removed him as the BoT Chairman of the PDP.
“But those of us who know Abraham Amah are not surprised. We know his antecedents. He claims to be PDP Chairman but the truth remains that Abia PDP has no EXCO at the moment. There was a court injunction stopping the purported congress he claims that produced him.
“Amah doesn’t have the powers to suspend the BoT Chairman especially when himself is not known to the party as PDP Chairman. He lacks legitimacy.
“The PDP constitution on the suspension of members is very clear let alone the BoT Chairman. It’s only the National Working Committee that has powers to suspend BoT Chairman. Besides, it’s a bottom-top process. There must be a petition from his Ward EXCO. They will invite him to appear, and if he fails, they will invite him again.
“If the party confers the power to suspend members indiscriminately to the Chairman of the party, then he wakes up any day to suspend any person he does not like his face. No party operates that way.”
The group wondered why Amah and his sponsors would leave those hobnobbing with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and be after true members of the PDP working hard to save the party from moles.
“They think they can destroy PDP. Why have they not sanctioned their co-travellers hobnobbing with APC and it’s the man that has been fighting to ensure that PDP does not die that they want to embarrass? We know their agenda. They have seen their defeat and humiliation at the centre and they felt they can get at Wabara at the grassroots for standing on the part of truth. They will not succeed the same way they failed woefully at the national.”
The group further said that Wabara, as an elder statesman, committed no crime by expressing his personal opinion about the governance of Abia State.
The group further said that PDP lost Abia for failing to heed the wise counsel of Wabara and other elders of the party who warned the party to allow power rotate back to Abia North if it wanted to remain in power.
“That PDP is out of power today in Abia was because these same people failed to heed Wabara’s advice. He warned them to allow power move back to Abia North in the spirit of equity but instead of heeding that advice they removed him from being the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Abia State University, Uturu, just to embarrass him for speaking the bitter truth. Today we all saw what happened at the poll. PDP was roundly rejected because of these selfish individuals.
“But one amazing thing is that each time they want to embarrass him, God lifts him. Just last week, the BoT for the first time since the history of the PDP, passed a vote of confidence on Wabara as its Chairman. Unfortunately, somebody unfit to untie his shoes is claiming he has suspended a BoT Chairman. What an insult!”
Ikpegbu said that Wabara “enjoys the support and confidence of the BoT and other stakeholders of the party” because of his clear stance on equity, and constitutionality as the conscience of the party.
“Senator Wabara enjoys the the confidence of his colleagues in the BoT and the Governors Forums plus the National Working Committee of the PDP. When the Abia State EXCO will be properly constituted, he will equally have their full support.”
Ikpegbu urged members of the party to discountenance Amah and his co-travellers bent on causing confusion in the party.
