The Peoples Democratic Party’s National Working Committee and Imo State stakeholders have decided that Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate, and Ifeanyi Okowa, his running mate, will wade into the crisis in the state.
The decision was reached during a meeting at the instance of the NWC to resolve the growing crisis in the state chapter of the party, including repositioning it for better electoral outings ahead of the next election season for the state.
Some party chieftains were pitted against the State Working Committee by the newly established Presidential Campaign Council at the state level over claims of exclusion.
A statement by the Special Assistant to the PDP National Chairman on Media and Communication, Simon Imobo-Tswam, on Tuesday stated that Atiku would meet party stakeholders from the state, including former governor Emeka Ihedioha and the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, to soften the ground for the mediation.
Imobo-Tswam added that the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, who disclosed this after the meeting, regretting the loss of Imo to the APC through a Supreme Court judgment, pointed out that recovering Imo for the PDP was a priority to the present leadership of the party.
Ayu said, “Unity is crucial.” And it’s only with unity that we can regain or recover Imo. And the route to that recovery is by winning the presidential election next February. Once we win the presidency next year, you will need to work less for the governorship victory.
“In Ekiti, we were disunited and we lost. Disunity led to our defeat. We had success in Osun because we were united. It’s the same thing in Imo. If we refuse to unite, we will have the Ekiti debacle. “But if we unite now, the Osun experience awaits us.”
“After elections in February, the NWC will give Imo closer attention.” For now, focus on winning the presidency. Don’t dissipate energies on what is trivial or far away. Together, we are stronger.
GOGAN TV