As Nwodo becomes PDP national chairman
It will be recalled that Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, had asked Prince Vincent Ogbulafor not to resign, insisting that Igbos would not support any other person from the zone to succeed him. When Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo was mentioned, the same Iwuanyanwu was among the people who kicked against him. The PDP members from Imo State, believed […]
It will be recalled that Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, had asked Prince Vincent Ogbulafor not to resign, insisting that Igbos would not support any other person from the zone to succeed him. When Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo was mentioned, the same Iwuanyanwu was among the people who kicked against him. The PDP members from Imo State, believed to be backed by Governor Okahim and Chief Iwuanyanwu, had also gone to court with the intention to restrain Nwodo. They preferred Chief Fidelis Ozichukwu.
Probably, what may have saved Nwodo’s candidacy most was a simple but sensible comment at the party’s BoT meeting which took place on Sunday, June 6.
Obong Attah was quoted as deposing that “the topical issue of the moment is restoring internal democracy within the PDP. The best primaries so far conducted by the ruling party was the February 14, 1999, presidential primary at the Jos Township Stadium. That primary, widely acknowledged as free, fair and transparent, was conducted with Nwodo as the National Secretary of the party. Consequently, with the party in throes of a return to the enthronement of internal democracy, no one is better placed to drive this process more than Nwodo”.
This simple, but timely, sensible reminder-comment seems to have saved the PDP an avoidable controversy.
Dr Jerome Jiga, Shehu Close, Zaria, Kaduna State