A power struggle in Imo’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between former Gov. Emeka Ihedioha and the state chapter of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) is tearing the party apart.
While the state’s Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Greg Egu, blames Ihedioha for delaying campaign plans, the party’s spokesman in the state, Mr Collins Okpuruzo, dismisses the allegations.
The squabble is exacerbated by a leadership crisis in the Imo PDP between the party’s National Secretary, Mr Samuel Anyanwu, and Ihedioha.
According to the campaign council’s director-general, Ihedioha’s actions could jeopardize Atiku’s campaign in Imo.
Egu claimed that since his appointment as director-general, Ihedioha has done much to frustrate the Imo PCC’s entire campaign management.
“All 41 PDP candidates in Imo have found it difficult to campaign for Atiku because of Ihedioha’s double-faced body language.
“One cannot be working hard for Atiku and at the same time be painting his campaign structure in a bad light in the estimation of the public.
“All Ihedioha has done is advance his ambition to be Imo governor for the third time, which is why he is frustrating the PCC,” Egu said.
He claimed that rather than ensuring a cohesive campaign structure, Ihedioha had sidetracked the PCC and disrupted the harmonious function of council members in order to advance his governorship ambition.
He contended that there was no reason for Ihedioha to continue holding meetings in his home when the PCC had a suitable campaign headquarters in Owerri.
“There is a party secretariat in Owerri where he can convene meetings if he doesn’t like the Atiku/Okowa campaign building.
“All of Ihedioha’s nominees on the presidential campaign council have also refused to attend council meetings.
“I called meetings on Dec. 24, 2022, Jan. 7 and Jan. 11, and not a single loyalist of Ihedioha in the Imo PCC attended.
“We caution Ihedioha against convening meetings of his chosen nominees in his private residence in the name of the Imo PCC because we cannot guarantee his true intentions,” he said.
Egu stated that the Imo PCC had resorted to media campaigns and was enlisting support groups to help Atiku/Okowa win.
“We have constituted Atiku/Okowa teams at the ward levels and collation centres.
“These measures are in addition to the structures established by the PDP’s state executive council and those running for other offices,” he said.
Mr Myke Ikeoku, a PDP chieftain and member of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, claimed at the news conference that Ihedioha had refused to invest in the party’s PCC.
“It is obvious that the state executive council of the party had turned itself into the re-election campaign organisation of Ihedioha because every action they have taken with respect to PCC promotes the personal interest of Ihedioha’s governorship ambition.
“Atiku’s campaign in Imo is in jeopardy because Ihedioha has been using the Atiku/Okowa Campaign in the state to campaign for his governorship aspiration. This will destroy Atiku’s opportunity in Imo,” Ikeoku said.
Mr Collins Okpuruzo, Imo Publicity Secretary of the PDP, dismissed all allegations, but described Ihedioha as the party’s leader in the state.
He stated that Ihedioha was sincerely committed to Atiku and the party’s 41 candidates in Imo.
“I can confirm today that Ihedioha is funding the majority of our presidential candidate’s activities.
“The publicity programmes we have and the billboards, advertorials and jingles that are everywhere are directly sponsored by Ihedioha.
“He has also deployed his transportation network, contacts and loyalists into the field to aggressively mobilise for the victory of Atiku Abubakar.
“Anyone who accuses Ihedioha of not supporting or working for Atiku Abubakar’s victory is only playing to the gallery and being dishonest,” Okpuruzo said.
