In expectation of the politics of 2023, one of the states that shows extreme interest, as its gladiators line up for a major political encounter, is Ebonyi State.
Political bigwigs in the state called Salt of the Nation are already braced for a tough battle ahead and are not ready to let anything to chance, expectedly so.
Since the defection of the Ebonyi State governor Engr. David Umahi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the political dynamics in the state changed.
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Beyond its altering, the political equation in the zone largely regarded as a stronghold of the PDP, the former ruling party, the governor’s move pitched him against some PDP leaders in Ebonyi State, especially former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim and Senator Sam Egwu, a former governor of the state.
The tension that trailed the governor’s defection gave a fillip to intense exchanges between the camps, which led to the emergence of a faction within the PDP and the resort to legal action on the authenticity of the party leadership in the state.
The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) had dissolved the Ebonyi State Working Committee led by Onyekachi Nwebonyi and the PDP southeast zonal leadership. But the dissolved state party executive would have none of that, insisting on its legitimacy and authenticity.
The tussle however took a new dimension when an APC chieftain and chairman of Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi State, Barr Clement Odah, tackled the former assistant financial secretary of the PDP, Linus Ogazi, for allegedly linking Governor David Umahi to Ebonyi PDP’s leadership tussle.
Odah, responding to the allegation, berated Ogazi for wrongly linking Umahi to the PDP leadership tussle, which according to him, is a party that has been rejected by Ebonyians.
He said, “I read, with surprise, in social media platforms a spurious allegation by one Ogazi Linus, that he was among others being sponsored by His Excellency the Governor of Ebonyi State to create a crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“First, is to put on record that no such thing ever happened and will never be. His Excellency the Governor and Engineer I know is too focused to delve into the affairs of the PDP which is presently struggling for survival in the wake of mass rejection by Ebonyi people who have willingly and wisely advanced to the next level platform offered by the ruling All Progressives Congress, the APC.
“Having so submitted, let me add that beyond party politics, I know Mr. Ogazi Linus very well. He is not a man to be taken seriously,” he said.
The matter got worse when the Elder Fred Udeogu-led caretaker committee attempted to enter the PDP secretariat in the state which was resisted by the Nwebonyi camp. The police had to intervene to avoid a clash.
However, the ranks of the APC grew in the state as Nwebonyi and the State Executive Committee joined the new ruling party in the state.
Others who decamped were all the chairmen of the 13 local government area chapters including the chairmen of 171 wards of the party. For them, they had been sidelined by PDP in its new party structure. The defection took place at the Pa Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki.
In a communiqué titled: “Resignation of State, Local Government and Ward Executives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following dissatisfaction with the National and South-East zonal leadership of the PDP”, Nwebonyi cited marginalization of the southeast zone, violation of the ruling of the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki which recognized the elected state executives and their inability to work with the present leadership of the party at the zone as some of the reasons behind the defection.
“It is worthy of note that the national and zonal leadership of the party had intentionally excluded Ebonyi State chapter from the Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) that organized the recent zonal congress of the party.
“This is in total disregard to the ruling of the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki which recognized the elected executives of the party in Ebonyi State. The national leadership of the party also blatantly rebuffed all efforts made by the leadership of the state chapter of the party for due process to be followed.
“In the light of the foregoing, we wish to express our total rejection of the anti-democratic practices in the party and therefore resign our positions as well as our membership of the party. We have made genuine efforts to get things done the right way but some leaders of the party are bent on using antics and gimmicks to achieve their inordinate ambitions.
“We, therefore, have no other option than to part ways with a party which is already stuck on the shenanigans of few overlords,” he said.
The PDP in the state considers this move a victory of sorts. For them, the defection of the Nwebonyi-led camp has paved the way for a more united opposition party.
Reacting, the publicity secretary of the caretaker committee, Mr. Silas Onu, said the defection of the other camp was a mere jamboree since Nwebonyi stopped being a member of the party after his expulsion.
He called on all PDP faithful to “remain resolute and focused on the responsibility of reinvigorating themselves for a successful and total takeover of government come 2023.”
But the commissioner for information and state orientation in Ebonyi State, Bar Orji Uchenna Orji, believes the PDP has collapsed in the state.
He said the APC has taken root in the state and that in 2023, the PDP would have been totally uprooted from the political consciousness of the people.
Orji said, “There is no PDP in Ebonyi State. Immediately the governor defected to APC, PDP collapsed. Those still in the party are people who would like to go back to the National Assembly, some of whom would like to be in control and still take Ebonyi State back to the old days.
“But the people of Ebonyi have said it’s not possible. The people are with the governor because of his developmental strides. Besides those who are desperate for power and some who are expiring politicians, no man will see what the governor is doing and go to join the other party.
“Some of these PDP leaders should tell us what they did with positions given to them and we will tell them what the governor has done since he assumed office. One thing is sure, 2023 is judgment day. They will see how the people will turn their backs against them.”
Advancing his claim on how APC will consolidate in 2023, he said PDP in Ebonyi has no leadership in the structure of the state.
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“APC controls the 64 development centers, the 13 local governments, and the state apparatus. So how will PDP win? Ninety percent of the so-called PDP members are in the National Assembly and they are there because they want automatic tickets. But the people of Ebonyi are waiting for them,” he stated.
While the PDP believes the people will remain loyal to the party, the APC under the governorship of Umahi will hope that the quality of governance and transformation brought to the state will suffice ahead of 2023.
The tussles and permutations are still evolving just as factors like zoning of the presidential ticket would perhaps, help to shape the narrative in the region.
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