ABIA: WHILE OTHER PARTIES GASP FOR BREATH, THE PDP STANDS TALL

Barr. Onyebuchi Ememanka wrote:
IN ABIA…
WHILE OTHER PARTIES GASP FOR BREATH, THE PDP STANDS TALL.
As at today in Abia State, the PDP is the only party that has continued to stand firm, united and in pole position to win the 2019 elections in the state.
One key feature that makes a party strong is internal cohesion, strength and unity of purpose. For a party to make any meaningful impact, the members must be united in the pursuit of that common purpose.
The PDP, apart from enjoying the multiple benefits of incumbency and a performing Governor, the party is united in the state. There are no internal crises in the party. We have one united and strong State Executive which enjoys the full support of all members of the party across the 17 local government areas of the state. We have one known party secretariat and our relations with the national body of our party is excellent.
When the time will come for party primaries, this unity will rub off on the process as all members will subject themselves to the laid down procedures that will lead to the election of credible candidates for the 2019 elections.
The reasons for this situation are not far to fetch. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the alter ego of the party is a strong believer in the supremacy of the party in a democracy. He draws a clear line between running the government and running the party. He allows the elected leaders of the party to do their jobs while he faces the business of governance and faithfully implements the programs and policies of the party for the benefit of the people of our state.
Again, we have a Party State Executive that enjoys wide acceptance. The State Chairman of the Party, the very charismatic and experienced Chief Johnson Onuigbo and his team are doing a fantastic job.
In the last few weeks, the party leadership has been moving to all the local governments to interact with members of the party and to see how the party is faring, as well as put in place measures that will strengthen the party across the state.
What of the other parties in the state? How are they faring?
It is public knowledge that the two other opposition parties in the state are in sixes and sevens, enmeshed in fratricidal internal crises and practically sitting on a time bomb.
Let’s start from the APC.
As at today, the APC is almost exploding in Abia State. They have two or is it three factions all claiming leadership.
While Chief Donatus Nwankpa leads one of the factions, Chief Ikechi Emenike leads the other. Then there is one comical fellow who calls himself UbaniTV who claims to lead another faction.
Apart from the fact that the party has no real visible presence here, apart from a motley crowd of expired political desperadoes, the internal crisis in the party is dealing a heavy blow on them.
In the next couple of weeks, they will hold their convention to elect new party leaders. In Abia State, the exercise may likely end in a fiasco as none of the factions is willing to shift grounds.
One of their likely aspirants for Governor, Dr. Uche Ogah has been silent for quite sometime. He hardly makes statements about the party anymore while his media guys are focusing on his person. It is unclear which of the factions he supports. It is also unclear what his plans for 2019 are.
The case of APGA is the most pathetic. After a relatively good showing in the 2015 elections, one expected that APGA will provide a credible opposition in the state. With eleven House of Assembly members in their kitty as at May 29, 2015, APGA has crumbled badly. Today, they have three members in the Assembly and there are rumors of an impeding defection of yet another member any moment from now.
The leadership of the party in the state can be likened to the TOM AND JERRY cartoon series. An internal crisis has eaten deep into the party leadership and today, two clear factions exists with both claiming authority.
Dr. Alex Oti who flew the flag of the party in 2015 and seeks to fly it again in 2019 leads one of the factions with one Rev Ehiemere as Chairman. They have a secretariat at Ikot Ekpene Road Umuahia.
Another faction of the party has their own secretariat at Finbarr’s Road Umuahia with Chief Chikwe Udensi being their alter ego. In this facfuin, you have also Chief Ahamdi Nweke who was the DG of the 2015 Oti Campaign. He had since fallen out with Oti. They have their own party State Chairman and executives just like the Oti faction.
The intriguing part here is that the Oti faction is unknown to the national leadership of the party. The National Chairman of APGA, Chief Ike Oye openly identifies with the Chikwe Udensi faction. When Chief Oye visited the state few weeks ago, he went straight to the Finbarr’s Road Secretariat where the Chikwe Udensi faction holds Court.
Chief Chikwe Udensi is angling seriously to fly the flag of the party in the 2019 elections and appears to be on course to get it.
Oti and his group initially supported Chief Martin Agbaso when he was temporarily the National Chairman of the party. When the issue was resolved in favor of Oye, Oti lost grounds.
As at today, Alex Oti is not even sure of getting elected as the flag bearer of the party for 2019. Party primaries are conducted by the national leadership using a delegates list drawn up and approved by the party leadership at the state and sent to Abuja. It is the list approved by the Ike Oye led national leadership that will be used for the primaries.
Last week, the National Vice Chairman of APGA in charge of South East, Chief Uchenna Okogbuo came to Abia State for a political event and openly hobnobbed with the Chikwe Udensi faction. No single member of the Alex Oti faction was sighted at the event.
Chief Okogbuo is the man Oti sent his name to the EFCC accusing him of embezzling millions of Naira earmarked to establish offices of the party across the state.
Chief Chikwe Udensi has vowed to repay Oti in his own coins. In 2015, Udensi was one of the frontline governorship aspirants in APGA. Oti was then in PDP and when he lost out, he ran to APGA and used his deep war chest to buy his way through the national leadership then led by Chief Victor Umeh.
Today, Umeh is no longer National Chairman and Oti is in a desperate search for solutions.
Apart from speaking long grammar on social media by Oti and his horde of facebook agents, attending burial ceremonies and visiting graves of some dead persons, he is simply floating in the air.