From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Ahead of the 2023 general election, a constitutional lawyer and former Attorney General of Imo State, Chukwuma Ma-Chukwu Ume (SAN) has warned the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) about the imminent and looming calamity that may befall the party in Abia state as a result of clear disregard to the guidelines for the conduct of the primary.
In a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Iorchia Ayu, dated May 9, 2022, the federal lawyer and Rapporteur victims of persecution noted that using a purported zoning arrangement as a cover-up for perpetuating god fatherism is will spell doom for the fortunesof the party in the 2023 general elections.
Accordingly, he called on the national chairman of the party to immediately intervene in the controversy in the overall interest of the party in Abia state.
The letter tilted “The Abia State chapter of PDP Zoning and 3-Man delegate Mishap!” Is Your Party Already Engrossed in Double Standard”, the lawyer stated “The current underground and snaky ” manoeuvring bedeviling the ongoing gubernatorial primary and nomination in your Abia state chapter calls for your immediate attention and intervention.
What is happening in Abia state primaries and the nomination of your party’s flag-bearer for the coming Governorship election in the state would help either build or destroy the confidence of the Nigerian people in your party not only in Abia state but nationwide”, the letter reads.
Ume therefore pleaded with Ayu “not to allow the sorry story now going on in your Abia state chapter to define your leadership”.
The letter further reads: ” Sir, you are personally aware what Nigerians need now more than ever before are people of trust to occupy the helm of affairs of the country.
“If people that have acquired national confidence are messed-up in this quagmire of Abia state exercise called zoning and the the said 3-Man delegate primaries, Iam positive it will not be in the best interest of the party as the apathy against your party would be enormous.
If an opposition asking to become a ruling party does not hunt for stars, what then does it have to offer?
For your 3-Man delegate primary for Abia state Governorship seats, your party needs to pick a lesson from what the Supreme Court recently said about the last All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship primary in Anambra state.
He observed that in a state with three-senatorial districts, opening governorship nominations for only two districts while leaving one does not speak well of any functional and rotation and leave any chance for the choice of meritorious leadership.
” Subject to your National Executive Council (NEC) decision, your party is said to have ruled out zoning at the national level in the said quest for capable hands, thus, should your party now throw away this quest and mantra under the questionable guise of zoning in Abia state.
In fact, the much taunted 3-Man delegate need to stick to rules else your party could go through what your Plateau’s state chapter went through in 2005.
You as National Chairman wrote to INEC that 3-man delegate Congress will hold on May 4, 2022. On the same date, the Abia state chairman of PDP wrote to the Abia state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC, that the Congress will hold on May 6, 2022.
Would a state chairman be allowed to usurp the function of National Chairman NWC and NEC of the party just because a predetermined goal must be achieved? Should your party allow such impunity to stand?
Even the purported results of the congress in 184 wards in Abia was also submitted in Abuja same day (May 6, 2022) it was said to have been held. Assuming it was even done by INEC BVA results, it still could not have been computed so instaneously. Could it be that a pre-packaged results were simply sent to your good office.
Ume said the claim that the May 6, 2022 Congress for the Abia governorship primary was done by consensus sounds contrary to common sense and unkown to law as the Electoral Act says consensus must be written and signed by all the contestants.
Suffice it to say, while your party was out of government, the resilience and starling performance of some of your party members made the party a hope to reckon with.
Your Minority Leader in the Senate of the 9th National Assembly, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe became a delight to all well-meaning Nigerians. His voice was always a food for thought for the government, political parties and Nigerians.
He at the National Assembly contributed to making your party worth the nomenclature: ‘an opposition party.’
This is why one would not stand aloof over some salient issues that are now becoming an actual case study of how prepared your party is to deliver capable-enlightened and people-oriented governance and leadership to the Nigerian electorate.