PDP will adopt ‘unity list’ in Anambra congress – Nat. Vice Chairman South- East.
The National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, South East, Chief Austin Umahi has threatened to deal with any member of the party who forments trouble in the next PDP congress in Anambra State, saying the party will adopt the principle of ‘unity list’ to take care of all interests.
Umahi stated this on Tuesday at the party’s national headquarters when he briefed the press on the next line of action for the cancelled congress that took place in Anambra state.
The zonal leader said that he is basking on the authority given to him by the new National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus who announced that all matters relating to the states will be resolved by the zonal leaders so the the center will concentrate on strategic policies that will take the party to its wining ways.
He said, “I want to tell Anambra Stake holders that no body has a monopoly of violence, no body has a monopoly of power and no body is the owner of PDP in Anambra State. We must have to go back to the ‘unity list’. ‘Unity list’ is all about harmonization. We must have to factor in all the interests, ‘unity list’ is all about harmonization, ‘unity list’ is all about consultation, ‘unity list’ is about agreement and it is allowed in democracy.
“So we must have to do wide consultations, micro zone to all the three zones in the state and the zone that a position is micro zoned to, the leaders should decide and then there will be proper election just like what we did in the national convention.”
According to him, the new National Working Committee will revisit the Anambra situation and work towards harmonizing all the interests, but called on all who are bent of causing bad blood in the party to desist forthwith.
“We want to state categorically that Anambra is too important to us. Everything that is happening in Anambra State is as a result of impunity, lack of internal democracy and we have come to say enough is enough. With a man like Secondus, we want to revisit and regain Anambra State. We will be holistic in our approach. What happened in the last election was a result of PDP fighting itself and what I call pull him down syndrome.
“It is not that PDP is not in Anambra. It is a result of intrigues and people bent on pulling the PDP down in Anambra because of their selfish interest. We are saying enough is enough. This rascality must stop and we must get it right.
“And that is why as a zone, we have decided to take a position. The position is that state congress in Anambra is suspended. We just have to go back and do the right congresses and constitute the right State Working Committee. That is the way to go in Anambra State.
“The way to go in the South-East particularly in Anambra is to get it right. Though, we lost the governorship election but the most important thing is to get it right in subsequent elections so that we can regain all the lost grounds.
“Our chairman has decided that zonal issues should be handled by zonal chairmen. No issue of concentrating power at the national.
“In a couple of weeks, you will see properly constituted working committee in Anambra State.’
He maintained that the South East was the strongest base of the party during its earlier days, saying that he will do everything possible to take power back to the grass root.
“The South-East is one of the strongest bases of the PDP and because it is one of the strongest bases of the PDP, we must continue to strengthen it.
“I want to thank the national chairman for taking power down to the base and by decentralizing power, the party will be stronger. That is one great thing that he has done. He is so much interested in devolving power and this will enable the PDP to return to power” he stated.
Anambra and Osun states were the two states that were not able to conclude their conventions due to violence, imposition of candidates and other electoral fraud.
Myke Uzendu, Abuja.
