A foundation member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State, Sir Ako Obioma has alleged that the National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Col Austin Akobundu (retd) is being deceived and used to return the Senator T.A Orji’s family back to power in the state come 2023.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the PDP chieftain, Sir Ako Obioma in Umuahia, wherein he said that the PDP in Abia state must work hard to avert a looming crisis in its fold because many party bigwigs are aggrieved that the party’s structure is left in the hands of one family.
According to the statement, the tilting of the PDP leadership structure during the last congress in the hands of a family and the alleged deal with the national organising secretary, Col Austin Akobundu, retd, didn’t go down well with some party chieftains who are of the view that it’s the incumbent governor Dr Okezie Ikpeazu who is supposed to be in total control of the PDP structure like was obtained previously.
He said that the deal they allegedly struck with the party’s national organising secretary includes allowing the later to nominate the executive of the party in his Ikwuano Local Government Area, LGA, which the statement claimed was the reason behind the defection of Hon Sam Onuigbo, the member representing Umuahia/ Ikwuano federal constituency in the National Assembly to the All Progressives Congress, APC. This is in addition to the impression given to Col Austin Akobundu, retd, that he would be made governor in 2023 to succeed Dr Okezie Ikpeazu without him knowing that the reverse is the case.
Sir Ako Obioma said he is dissatisfied with what he termed the monarchical system of government in Abia state, saying but he can’t leave the PDP because he is one of the strong members and financiers of the party right from its formative stage since 1998 without seeking for any elective position.
The statement further stressed that there is a ray of hope in the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu led administration because he is seeing light at the end of the tunnel, which is quite encouraging and satisfying. He described Governor Ikpeazu as a good ambassador of the PPDP and Abia State, who should be supported to succeed.
“So, the consensus of opinion is that the composition of the leadership of PDP in the state is skewed in favour of the Senator T.A Orji’s family, so that his son who is the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly will be installed as the governor or deputy governor come 2023”, he alleges.
Said he, “this was the main reason Hon Sam Onuigbo representing Umuahia/Ikwuano federal constituency in the House of Representatives and Chief Henry Ikoh, former Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, who incidentally is from the same LGA with Col Akobundu, retd, decamped from PDP to APC because they were completely schemed out”.
Sir Ako Obioma who said he feels dissatisfied with what he described as monarchical system of government in Abia state, however said he can’t leave the party and no one can force him out because of the roles he had played in the party till date.
He said at the peak of the mass defection that hit the PDP in 2014, Julius Berger NIG LTD rejected the contract of N860m to renovate, furnish and equip the National Campaign Headquarters (Legacy House) of the party at Maitama, Abuja, unless the entire contract sum was paid to them in advance.
“So, Dr Ako Obioma made the ultimate sacrifice by taking it up as a personal contribution to the party, and expending over N300m to complete the job so amazingly than the party national executive and the then President Goodluck Jonathan had expected from Julius Berger.
As a show of gratitude, he said the former President Goodluck Jonathan wrote a letter of appreciation to him a copy of which is available to the press. Also, Sir Ako Obioma disclosed that he was the chairman of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu campaign fund-raising in the same year, including other numerous contribution he has made to the party.
He said that considering the sacrifices he has made for the upliftment of the PDP in the state and national level right from the administration of Sen Orji Kalu, Chief T. A Orji and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu without reward, dumping the party would not be an option but to strive to remain in the party to change the system in the overall interest of the state.
“It’s pertinent to note that while past governments awarded contracts to my companies though without payments, Dr Okezie’s administration has not awarded any contract to my companies nor patronized me personally. He added that his companies dragged Gov Okezie Ikpeazu’s government to court for failure to pay debts owed his companies by previous administration.
He said that “the expected crisis seems to be nearer than imagined because most party members who are not in support of this monarchical government feels that with recent comment of His Excellency Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, that he would not influence the emergence of his successor, it connotes submission to the overlords.
“That’s why there’s increasing anxiety over the governor decamping to APC, and unless good arrangement is put in place to give the governor considerable control over the party’s structure, we might not be surprised to see his last-minute exit”. And if Ikpeazu dumps PDP I will leave with him because will not like to be part of the monarchical system of leadership in Abia, Sir Ako declares.
How Col Akobundu Is Being Deceived, Used To Return T. A Orji’s Family Back To Power, Ako Obioma Alleges
