By Musa Baba Adamu
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has denied rumours of a crisis of any form or shape in the state arising from the composition of the Presidential Campaign Council.
The opposition party also clarified that all the guidelines, processes and procedures laid down for the composition of the 2023 Presidential Campaign Council and Campaign Management Committee were strictly adhered to in the state.
PDP made the clarification in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Collins Opurozo made available to journàlists in Owerri, Imo State.
Recall that the All Progressive Congress, APC had alleged that the leaders of Imo PDP in a desperate fight against themselves, invaded the venue for the inauguration of the state presidential campaign council with armed thugs, leaving party men and women to scamper for their safety with various degree of injuries.
But in a swift reaction, PDP said the clarification has become necessary given the rumours in certain quarters that there is a crisis in the party caused primarily by some non-existent shortcomings with the Presidential Campaign Council List.
The statement further reads: “It is also important to state in clear terms that no single name was removed from the list already approved by the Presidential Campaign Organization for Imo State. Any insinuation to the contrary is very far from the truth.
“There is, therefore, no crisis of any form or shape in Imo State PDP arising from the composition of the Presidential Campaign Council. What needs to be noted is that, while constituting the Presidential Campaign Council, all stakeholders were duly consulted and all interests fully accommodated. Further, the guidelines released by the Presidential Campaign Organization in Abuja clearly defined the requisite qualifications for every role or position in the Campaign Council.
”In a PDP-governed State, the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council is the Governor of the State, while in a non-PDP State, the governorship candidate of the party is the Chairman. In the absence of a governorship candidate, the chairman is either the former PDP governor or [the] immediate past PDP governorship candidate in the state. This is explicit.
“For Imo State, the chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council, His Excellency the Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON, is both the former governor of the state and the last governorship candidate of the party. This cannot be contested.
“Finally, on the strength of the written authorization granted by the Presidential Campaign Organization for the inauguration of the Presidential Campaign Council and Campaign Management Committee in Imo State, the inauguration, as earlier announced, holds on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at the state secretariat of the party in Owerri.”
