By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
Attempts to get a consensus candidate for the office of the National Secretary micro zoned to the South East may have hit a brick wall as chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South East rejected the emergence of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the consensus candidate of the zone.
The chieftains including former Governors of Anambra and Imo states, Peter Obi, Achike Udenwa and Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, among others described the emergence of Sen. Anyanwu at a meeting held on Thursday and hosted by Governor Ugwuanyi in Enugu as a charade.
They maintained that the emergence of the former lawmaker popularly known as Sam Daddy Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary was an imposition and not by consensus.
They accused Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia states of, without consulting stakeholders, announced Sen Anyanwu as a consensus candidate.
He said that most of the people who attended a meeting convened by the two governors vehemently raised objections and refused to accept his candidacy.
The PDP chieftains in a statement on their behalf by Madu Chinemerem, a National Ex-Officio from Imo State, said “what transpired at the PDP meeting held on Thursday 14th October at Enugu hosted by Governor Ugwuanyi can best be described as a stalemate. The meeting certainly didn’t elect Sam Daddy Anyanwu to represent the South East as PDP National Secretary.
“Gov Ugwuanyi and Ikpeazu came to the meeting and just announced the selection of Sen Anyanwu. Most of the people who attended vehemently objected to it and refused to accept it. The entire Anambra delegation led by Peter Obi rejected it. Imo delegates led by former Govs Emeka Ihedioha and Achike Udenwa also rejected it.
“The State Chairmen of some of the States also said no. The meeting ended without any agreement.
“What was most annoying to South East leaders was that Sen. Sam Daddy Anyanwu is being imposed on them by a governor from South South who nominated him.
“He is forcing down his choice on the governors from the South East, just because he served as his Special Assistant.
“The meeting was also attended by former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, Onyema Ugochukwu, Senator Uche Ekwunife, and many others. Most of them didn’t agree with the imposition of Sam Daddy Anyanwu as Secretary as he wasn’t a product of the zone.
“I am very conversant with the everything that transpired at the meeting and I can say without fear of contradiction that what was reported as South East Zone PDP consensus is a figment of the imagination of the author of the Press release. It does not in any way whatsoever, reflect the outcome of the Enugu meeting. It is unfortunate.
“Definitely Anambra and Imo States have better materials for the office if it is zoned to them”, the party Chieftain stated.
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