By NewsCritic reporters
Political crisis is brewing at the Umuhu Ward of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State following the alleged self-nomination of Hon. Emeka Ejiogu, a former member of the House of Assembly for political appointment in the Dr Okezie Ikpeazu’s government. His nomination has been rejected by some stakeholders in the ward.
This development follows the request by Governor Ikpeazu to the party in all the 17 local government areas of the state to forward 15 names to his office to be considered for various appointments in his government. The NewsCritic online reports that Governor Ikpeazu is yet to constitute his cabinet or name the body of special advisers and assistants three months after he was sworn-in for a second term in office.
The decision of Ikpeazu to call for nomination from the party in the local government areas is causing political dispute in some areas over the names to be submitted for the appointments. In Umuahia North LGA for instance, the two clans that make up the area are the Ohuhu and Ibeku clans. Sources disclosed that out of the 15 slots given to the LGA the Ibeku kingdom will provide eight names while their Ohuhu brothers takes seven in that order.
Also in Ohuhu, there are five wards that make up the clan and it was agreed that each ward will provide one name, while the member representing the Ohuhu constituency in the House of Assembly and Transition Committee Chairman of the local government council will nominate one candidate each to complete the number.
In Umuhu ward where Ejiogu hails from, the slot was zoned to Oriendu bloc with stakeholders of the PDP meeting to decide on whose name should be submitted to the government through the Umuahia North TC Chairman, Barr Kelechi Ezechukwu.
However, in a communique issued at the end of its emergency meeting held at Uhuokwu, Oriendu on August 6, 2019 the Forum of Oriendu PDP, FOOP, distanced itself from the purported nomination of Ejiogu for appointment on the grounds that it didn’t follow the laid down procedure.
The communique which was signed by Hon Chimezie Onukagha, the Public Relations Officer dismissed the purported self-nomination of Ejiogu without secondment as a beating of the gun, which it said is unacceptable to them.
According to the group, the leaders of “our party in the Oriendu bloc of Umuhu ward of Umuahia North LGA and our supporters therein were never consulted and did not at any time decide on the selection of Hon Emeka I. Ejiogu as the nominee of Oriendu ward”.
The group said “we must humbly appeal that the party and government should discountenance the self-nomination of Hon Emeka Ejiogu as the Oriendu bloc nominee at the meeting of Wednesday, 31 July, 2019 at Abia Hotels, Umuahia, which was convened for another purpose”.
Oriendu PDP stakeholders condemned what it termed as the politics of crass imposition of the past era where Ejiogu used to unilaterally make all the nominations from the bloc for all offices using a respected leader of the party as shield.
The group stressed that Ejiogu, who is a two-term lawmaker is not the only qualified member of the party from the Oriendu bloc, who worked for the PDP, or deserves recognition by the state government. “There are indeed others who have worked hard over the years for the success of the party and are deserving of reward, the communique adds.
In conclusion the stakeholders reached a consensus and nominated Mr Chucks Nwabueze Nwagbara as the nominee from the bloc, adding that they will communicate their position to the party and government through the appropriate channels.
