Crisis looms in Enugu PDP over Chime’s successor
There
were indications on Saturday that a major crisis was imminent in the
Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party over the selection
of a member of the House of Representatives, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, by
Governor Sullivan Chime as his successor.
Ugwuanyi, the member representing Igbo
Eze North /Udenu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives,
was reportedly anointed by Chime to succeed him in 2015 during a meeting
at the Government House, Enugu.
The meeting came after the rally
organised by the Chime-backed Enugu State Movement for the re-election
of President Goodluck Jonathan at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.
It was gathered that members of the Enugu
State PDP caucus attended the meeting, where a motion moved by Chime
for Ugwuanyi to succeed him in office was reportedly backed by party
chieftains including the state PDP chairman, Mr. Vita Abba, who was
believed to be also nursing governorship ambition.
Sources at the meeting said after Chime
presented Ugwuanyi’s name as his preferred successor, Abba announced
that he was stepping down for the federal lawmaker.
Our correspondent learnt that the
development did not go down well with all those present at the meeting,
particularly other governorship hopefuls from the Enugu North Senatorial
Zone, to whom the office was zoned t, a development which prompted
Chime to advise Ugwuanyi to immediately embark on a bridge-building and
reconciliation mission to ensure that the party presented a united front
at the poll.
A PDP chieftain in the state, who did not
wish to be named, told our correspondent on Saturday that “party
stakeholders were not consulted before Ugwuanyi’s selection.”
Although, the PDP chieftain admitted that
Ugwuanyi was his “very good friend”, he insisted that any decision
taken without consulting the stakeholders, and all the power blocs in
the party, was not in order.
“There is nothing like selection or
anointing of successor in PDP’s constitution. This is democracy, not
dictatorship, the party belongs to all of us not just an individual —
the right thing must be done,” he added.
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