Since the return of Democratic rule in 1999, the Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has remained one of the strongest and robust parties in the state even when the party lost power in the state in 2011 after 12 years of holding sway. The Imo PDP has remained strong even as an opposition party in the state with a wide support base across the state.

However, all is not well within the main opposition party in the state, as the internal wrangling of who controls the structure of the Imo State PDP ahead of the gubernatorial primaries scheduled for April/ May between ex-Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the National Secretary of the Party has already polarized the state chapter into the Ihedioha and Senator Anyanwu camps, which most members fear is now a major threat to the ability of the Imo PDPto confront the rampaging APC-led administration of Senator Hope Uzodimma in the November 11,2023governorship election.

As a major political party, even at the national level, possession of the party’s ticket for any of the elective positions is a sure bet that the candidate (s)of the party will most certainly win.

Recall that on December 8, 2014 gubernatorial primary of the party held at the Dan Anyiam stadium, Ihedioha then Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives had defeated Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Ex-governor Ikedi Ohakim and others at the governorship primary.

Senator Ararume who had finished second behind Ihedioha had alleged over voting. And, when he failed in getting the primary election nullified, he joined forces with then Governor Rochas Okorocha in the 2015 election which Okorocha won via a supplementary polls.

Again in 2018 PDP primary election held at the Kanu Nwankwo sports centre in Owerri,SenatorSamuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the PDP, then a serving Senator representing Imo East had also battledEmeka Ihedioha for the sole gubernatorial ticket of the party.

Senator Samuel Anyanwu who lost in the gubernatorial primary had filed a suit at the court seeking the nullification of the governorship primary which fell through.

Although Ihedioha had gone ahead to win the governorship election in March of 2019 but less than seven months later, he was sacked by acuriousjudgment of the Apex Court which installed in his stead Senator Hope Uzodimma of the APC who had finished a distant fourth in the governorship polls.

However, the bid of the Imo PDP to return to power in the state in the governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023 may be under a serious threat following the intense “ fight “ betweenSenatorSamuel Anyanwu and ex- Governor Emeka Ihedioha over who controls the structure of the party ahead of the party’s gubernatorial primaries that is expected to hold in April

Investigations by Daily Sun revealed that the current face-off between the two party chieftains is that former governor Ihedioha allegedly wants to be the sole governorship candidate of the Imo PDP while Senator Anyanwu and his supporters want an open contest to allow other aspirants from the Owerri zone who are interested to contest.

Sources at the Imo PDP said that in pursuit of his ambition to be given the option of first refusal as regards the governorship ticket of the Imo PDP, Ihedioha had allegedly tried to pressurise the elders committee of the party led by Sir Ambrose Ejiogu to foreclose other governorship aspirants in the state party from participating in the coming governorship primaries which the elders committee was said to have rejected and rather opted for open contest.

The source said that 17 of the 27 LGA chairmen of the Imo PDP had opposed the sole candidate for ex- governor Ihedioha and rather supported an open contest, a position which allegedly earned them suspension from the state Working Committee but was quashed by the National Working Committee to ostensibly prevent the state party from being engulfed in crisis ahead of an election year.

The source further revealed that during the state Congress which was conducted shortly after the unfortunate removal of Ihedioha as the state governor by the Supreme Court, that Ihedioha had ensured that his loyalists emerged at the helms of affairs both at the state, local and ward levels.

This, the source said did not go down well with Senator SamuelAnyanwu who felt shortchanged even in Ikeduru council as hewas never consulted over those that were nominated from his council.

According to him, “Don’t forget that Senator Samuel Anyanwu has been the executive Chairman of Ikeduru council, former member of the Imo state House of Assembly from where he proceeded to the Senate in 2015 where he represented the entire Owerri zone which confers on him as one of the leaders in the zone. But during the LGA Congress of the party that was held in 2020 that brought on board the current LGA, Ward and State Executives of the party, he was never consulted as a leader of the party even in his own local government. So, he has no contribution as to who are his ward or LGA executives. This is because the nominations were done by Ihedioha and delegates lists also approved by him. So, what Senator Anyanwu is doing is to ensure that he is not rendered irrelevant in Imo PDP even as the National Secretary of the party.

He added, “Senator Anyanwu is not fighting Ihedioha who is seen by many as the leader of the party in the state because of his enormous contributions over the years but that the affairs of the party in the state should not be a one man business.

Similarly, another chieftain of the party who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “Recall that Ihedioha has flown the Imo PDP’s governorship ticket in 2015 and 2019 respectively and unfortunately in 2020, the party’s electoral victory was nullified by the apex court. But many party faithful want other interested aspirants from the Owerri zone to contest as against the desire of Ihedioha to be the sole candidate of the party for 2023 and this is what is fuelling the internal crisis in the party”,he said.

However, one of the sources who only spoke on the condition of anonymity noted that immediately Senator Samuel Anyanwu became the National Secretary of the Party that he had wanted the National Working Committee led by Senator Iyorchia Ayu to dissolve the Imo PDP State executive led by Charles Ugwuh and to appoint a caretaker committee alleging that the current State Executives were singlehandedly picked by Ihedioha.

He also pointed that out during the stakeholders meeting of the Imo state chapter heldlate last year with the National Working committee led by Dr Iyorchia Ayu over disagreement between the faction of Ihedioha and Senator Anyanwu in the composition of the Presidential Campaign Council of Atiku Abubakar.

He said the National Chairman had admonished the stakeholders and leaders of the Imo PDP to work together so as to deliver the party in the forthcoming elections. But that advice has been observed in the breach as members loyal to Ihedioha and Senator Anyanwu have continued in their separate ways.

For instance, he said, “the fight over who controls the state party structure between Ihedioha and Senator Anyanwu have also polarized the Presidential Campaign Council of Atiku in the state.”

While Ihedioha is the Chairman of the Presidential campaign Council in the state with Greg Egu as the Director-General of the campaign, however the PCC has never held any meeting together at the designated office of the Atiku / Okowa PCC in Owerri. While the Director – General who is a member of Senator Anyanwu Divine Mandate Movement and opposed to the “ third “ time bid of Ihedioha holds his meetings at the PCC office in Owerri, Ihedioha as Chairmanon the other hand, and other members of the PCC who aremembers ofPCC and his loyalists hold their meetings at his private residence.” This, he said, does not augur well for the unity of the party.

Continuing, “My advice to his Excellency, Ihedioha and Senator Anyanwu is that they should close rank to confront the common enemy in the state which is Governor Hope Uzodimma and his APC in the state. As a member of the PDP, I want the party to reclaim power in the state. It does not matter who the candidate is, if Ihedioha or Senator Anyanwu emerges as the candidate of the party during the primaries, I will support the person.”

Itwas gathered that the loss of the Orlu senatorial zone by the party following the nullification of the Orlu senatorial primary election by the Supreme Court is a direct consequence of the “ fight “ between Ihedioha and Senator Anyanwu, as the Imo PDP will not be fielding any candidate for National Assembly on February 25.

Those in the Senator Anyanwu camp have accused Ex-Governor Ihedioha of not having done enoughto pressurise Dr ThankGod Ezeani who is his ally from dropping the case against his former political ally, Jones Onyeriri who had jumped ship to Senator Anyanwu’s camp following disagreements between the duo over list ofdelegates for the local and ward levels in his federal constituency of Njaba/Nwangele/ Isu/Nkwerre forthe 2020 Imo PDP state congresses.

But it was also learnt that State Executives of the party and Elders of the party are equally culpable in the loss of Orlu Senatorial zone as they had failed to broker peace earlier between Jones Onyeriri and Dr ThankGod Ezeani as they have allegedly allied themselves either with Ihedioha or Senator Anyanwu camps.

The Imo PDP may not have a candidate for the Aboh Mbaise/ Ngor Okpala which is the Federal constituency of ex-Governor Emeka Ihedioha as the apex court has barred both the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) and the PDP from conducting a fresh primary following the nullification of the earlier one won by Albert Agulanna, who is a member of the Emeka Ihedioha Rebuild Organisation. Agulanna is being challenged by Dr Ugochukwu Uzoma, a member of Divine Mandate Movement of Sen Anyanwu.

All eyes are now focused on Imo PDP gubernatorial primary in April and its outcome may make or mar the party’s ability to reclaim power on November 11, 2023. (Daily Sun)