Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo Thairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo is under fire. Governors are plotting his removal from office.
Their grouse with Nwodo, who is barely four-month old in office, is over his alleged unilateral decision to dissolve State Executive Committees in eight states. Most of the PDP governors are angry with Nwodo for allegedly attempting to hijack party structures in their states with a view to denying them second term tickets.
It was learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan had tried twice to intervene in the feud. His attempts were unsuccessful.
There are 28 PDP governors in the country out of whom 23 are eligible for re-election.
But the governors have remained divided on the 2011 presidential ambition of President Jonathan leaving the party to be suspicious of ‘disloyal elements’ among them.
It was learnt that while the party leadership is still looking for an excuse to get at ‘disloyal governors,’ an opportunity came when The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ordered repeat congresses in eight states.
The states are Oyo, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Anambra and Plateau.
In deference to electoral umpire, the PDP in a September 30, 2010 letter to INEC chair Prof. Attahiru Jega said the party was ready to repeat the congresses in the eight states.
“We refer to your letter dated September 27, 2010.
“In compliance with Section 85(1) and (2) of the Electoral Act and the commission’s observations in the correspondence attached, we write to notify you of the repeat state chapter congresses in Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Oyo and Plateau states.
“The congresses in the eight states are scheduled to hold as follows: Ward (October 21); LGA (October 23) and State (October 25). Your support and cooperation are needed.”
The letter was signed by PDP National Secretary Alhaji Kawu Barage.
But the acceptance of fresh congresses in the eight states has caused anxiety among some of the governors and PDP leaders.
The governors are insisting that there is no crisis in any of the eight states to have warranted fresh congresses.
It was gathered that Delta State had secured a court injunction to restrain the PDP National Headquarters from conducting fresh congresses in the state and dissolving the State Executive Committee.
Also, three of the governors (Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Jonah Jang (Plateau), and Ibrahim Idris (Kogi) on Friday protested to Prof. Jega.
In order to forestall further court actions after the governors’ meeting with Jega, Nwodo on Saturday ordered the dissolution of the Enugu State Executive Committee.
Findings revealed that the governors are not taking it lightly as they see the dissolution of Enugu Executive Committee as “the icing of the cake” on their plot.
A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The governors are disenchanted with Nwodo as he wants to take control of the party machinery in the states to install some favoured members as either party executives or candidates for 2011 poll.
‘The situation in the eight states has reached a point that the governors are poised for battle to the finish. These eight governors are fully enjoying the backing of their colleagues who also have an axe to grind with Nwodo since he told them not to bring money to his house or discuss party matters with him at home.
“Discussions are on among the governors in order to join issues publicly against Nwodo.”
It was gathered that the dissolution of Enugu SEC is now “one of the strong points of the governors against Nwodo.”
A member of the Governors Forum said: “Since Nwodo is claiming that the Enugu State Executive Committee that gave him a waiver to rejoin PDP and eventually become National Chairman is illegal and should be dissolved, he has no basis staying in office too.
“By simple legal interpretation, all actions of the dissolved Enugu SEC were illegal including the waiver given to Nwodo to return to PDP.
“It is trite in law that INEC should also ask Nwodo to follow due procedure by seeking fresh mandate from PDP members, through National Convention, to become the National Chairman of the party.
“Some party members will also petition INEC to advise PDP to follow due process in electing its National Chairman. Nwodo is saying that congresses were inconclusive in eight states, he should tell INEC whether he was elected or not by party members as National Chairman.”
Nwodo had on April 15, 2009 written to the Chairman of the dissolved Enugu State Executive Committee, Chief Vita Abba, for a waiver.
Nwodo said in the letter: “Following my return to our great party and the historic reception accorded me, among others on the occasion of the PDP Southeast Zonal Rally in Enugu on Tuesday, 14th April 2009 by the National Chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Eze Ogbulafor, and the party membership, I most humbly apply for the grant of a waiver in my favour in respect of the subsisting two-year mandatory uninterrupted membership span before anyone may get elected or appointed into any party or public offices.
“I make this request in furtherance of the magnanimous assurance contained in the official address of the National Chairman of the party to the effect that returnees shall be granted waivers to enjoy all the rights and privileges due to our party members in keeping with the adopted recommendations of the Ekwueme Peace and Reconciliation Committee.”
It was learnt that the President had intervened twice in the row between Nwodo and some governors, especially the eight governors in question.
An NWC member said: “The President had brokered peace twice but it failed. After a session of the National Economic Council, the President once asked the eight governors to stay behind to resolve the crisis over congresses in their states.
“At another meeting, the parley ended up with a lot of arguments without any concrete resolution.
“Also, Vice-President Namadi Sambo called all the governors and Nwodo to a meeting since they are all friends of Jonathan and ready to support Jonathan’s 2011 ambition.
“They eventually agreed that the legal team of PDP would meet with that of INEC to find a meeting point. But INEC was not prepared for any such meeting as it refused to attend the session as scheduled. So, the issue remained deadlocked.”
Meanwhile, members of the National Working Committee were yesterday divided over the manner adopted by the National Chairman to dissolve the Enugu State Executive Committee (SEC) of the PDP.
They claimed that the NWC met last Monday and no decision was taken to dissolve the SEC of any of the eight states where INEC asked for repeat congresses.
Some NWC members, who spoke in confidence, faulted Nwodo for personalising the matter because his Special Adviser is not the spokesman of the party and should not have issued the statement on the dissolution.
Another highly-placed source in the party, however, added: “Some NWC members are being deceptive. The National Chairman of the PDP was away in the US with President Goodluck Jonathan when the NWC took the decision to dissolve the State Executive Committees in eight states.
But, the SA (Media), Mr. Ike Abonyi, said: “I don’t want to take up issues with anybody because I work for the National Chairman and I take instructions from him.”
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