Ihedioha May Dump PDP Over Rift With National Secretary Anyanwu

Indications have emerged that a former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha may be plotting to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over his rift with the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

Naija News reports that the two political gladiators were cleared last week to contest the party’s ticket for the Imo State governorship election billed to hold in November.

Ihedioha had on Tuesday withdrawn from the race while the ward congresses to elect delegates for the governorship primary election were still ongoing as of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Ihedioha, in a letter, dated March 27 and addressed to the PDP National Chairman, stated that he was withdrawing “in the interest of harmony and unity of our party”.

Recall that in January 2020, the Supreme Court sacked Ihedioha as the governor of Imo State after barely seven months in office.

The seven-man panel led by Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad unanimously declared Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 19, 2019 governorship election in the state.

The appellant, Uzodimma had contended that he scored the highest number of votes in the election but the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returned Ihedioha as the governor of the state.

Sources have revealed to The Nation on Wednesday that the former Imo State governor withdrew from the race to protest Anyanwu’s continued stay in office as National Secretary while contesting the state governorship ticket.

By virtue of his position as the National Secretary, Anyanwu has continued to play key roles in the processes that will lead to the primary election to elect the governorship flag bearer.

Also speaking on the issue, a PDP pressure group, Action 2023, described Anyanwu’s action as “naked impunity” that was being sustained by the suspended PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

A statement by the chairman of the PDP Action 2023, Dr. Rufus Omeire, said Ayu, before his suspension on Monday, had ignored protestations and calls to the party’s leadership to address the anomaly.

Omeire said Ihedioha’s withdrawal from the race had unsettled PDP members and supporters in Imo State, especially those who were waiting for the November election to re-establish his 2019 mandate, which they claimed, was “stolen” in January 2020.

It added: “It is shocking that as the National Secretary, Senator Anyanwu, who was screened and cleared to contest for the ticket, was the same person that signed the clearance certificates for the aspirants.”