The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State has taken a new dimension as 12 members of the 14-man
Enugu State’s State Working Committee (SWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have petitioned the national Chairman of the party Adamu Muaázu, disowning the activities of factional Chairman of the party, Elder David Ajah.
The petition which was endorsed by 12 out of the 14-member SWC in the state catalogued some of the nefarious activities of Ajah, which they alleged were bringing the party to disrepute.
In a letter of petition to Muázu and the national leadership of the party, the SWC members are contending that what they termed “the untoward act of conspiracy and gross misconduct exhibited by the state Deputy Chairman of the party, Elder David Ajah”would undermine the interest of the party in the state.
In a strange tweak of democracy, Ajah, the only member of the SWC of the party, Ajah, appear to enjoy some backing of some meber of the Central Working Cooommittee of the party.
the of bringing the party in the state to disrepute through his conducts. Ajah is leading the faction of the PDP in the state that is loyal to the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.
In a letter signed by the12 members and addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, a copy of which was made available to Sunday Sun, they distanced themselves from all the actions taken by Elder Ajah in respect of the non-conduct of ward congresses in the state on November 1.
They observed that the decisions of Ajah were strange and unilateral and did not have the backing of the SWC of the party.
They maintained that no ward congress of the PDP was held in Enugu State on November 1, as scheduled in the party’s time-table of activities that would culminate to the primaries due to non-arrival of the electoral materials and members of the National Ward Electoral Committee to the state party secretariat at No. 1 Chime Lane, G.R.A, Enugu.
The members of the SWC told the party leadership that all the members of the committee except Elder Ajah were present throughout the day at the state secretariat, Enugu waiting for the materials and panel members to no avail.
They, therefore, expressed dismay “that Elder David Ajah to the chagrin of the members of the State Working Committee (SWC) and other members of our great party, unilaterally addressed the press and made radio announcements to the effect that he purportedly led the state PDP executives to what he called ‘successful ward congresses in 266 wards of Enugu State’ when in fact, there are only 260 electoral wards in the state, without any approval or deliberation on the matter by the State Working Committee of the party.”
They accused Ajah of playing out the script of an interested member of the party in the state by unilaterally and unlawfully taking party decisions without adhering to the PDP’s constitution, which empowers the State Working Committee to undertake the day-to-day administration of the party in the state on behalf of the State Executive Committee (SEC).
They also disclosed in the letter that “the PDP registers fundamentally needed for the ward congresses were under the custody of our ward chairmen in all the 260 electoral wards in the state throughout Saturday, the first day of November, 2014, as they waited in vain for the congresses that never took place.”
The 12 members of SWC, therefore, requested the national leadership of the party to call Elder Ajah to order and also take appropriate action to ensure that proper ward congresses are conducted in Enugu State in accordance with the party’s constitution and guidelines in order not to encourage impunity, illegality and insubordination in the administration of the party at any level.
