A Forum of PDP Stakeholders comprising former Party Executives and Political Office Holders has dismissed claims by Barr. Steve Oruruo that he is now the Acting Chairman of the party in Enugu State after the defection of Governor Peter and others to the APC.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Enugu, signed by Dr Godwin Udibe (Chairman), Chief John Nwobodo, Esq, (Secretary), alongside Professor Chris Onodugo and Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike, the forum urged party members and the general public to disregard Oruruo’s claim as it lacked logic.
The statement reads in part: “In light of the press conference by the former Deputy Chairman of PDP Enugu State, describing himself as acting chairman, we hereby deem it necessary to inform genuine party members and the general public to disregard the claim as it defies not only logic but alien.
“For context, the Governor, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah alongside the Deputy Governor, 17 Local Government Council Chairmen and their Deputies, 260 Ward Councillors, Ward, Local and State Party functionaries, 22 members of the Enugu State House of Assembly all defected to the All Progressives Congress.
“A few weeks before the defection, the now self-acclaimed acting Chairman of PDP in Enugu State, Barr. Steve Oruruo joined and participated in a so-called Enugu East Stakeholders Meeting where speaker after speaker called on the Governor to join the APC.
“The now self-acclaimed acting Chairman did not voice a dissent in a gathering where a Governor on the platform of the party which he now prides himself as the acting Chairman.
“The silence spoke volumes and one can reasonably infer that he was involved in both overt and covert actions in the movement of the Governor to the APC.
“How can such a person feel that he would be taken seriously. ‘
The forum said it was very clear that the defection of former PDP members obliterated the party organs in the state, particularly the State Executive Committee (SEC) and the State Working Committee (SWC).
“In the context of the party Constitution in relation to the SWC there is no surviving State Working Committee.
“Even if we should ignore the fact of Oruruo’s overt and covert endorsement of the collapse of PDP structure into APC, we cannot ignore the fact that assuming he is the remaining member of the SWC he alone cannot function as the State Working Committee.
“He cannot summon himself to a meeting and preside over himself alone.
“There is practical impossibility with the narrative Barr Oruruo is pushing.
“We wish to state unequivocally and without ambiguity or vacillation that Barr. Steve Oruruo lacks the competence and vires to act on behalf of the Party in Enugu State.
“We make bold to say that we don’t acknowledge his leadership mainly because his assumption of office as a one man SWC is a complete aberration.
“Customarily, in PDP, when the Governor defects, the Party dissolves the executives and appoints a Caretaker Committee. Enugu’s case cannot be different.
“We acknowledge that the National Leadership of the Party is thinking in this direction, ” the forum stated.
According to the stakeholders, PDP in Enugu State needed a major overhaul and fresh start, adding that part of the way was to lead a drive for fresh membership registration and re-registration using a new membership register and issuance of new membership cards.
“We want to use this medium to warn those who are being prepared to infiltrate the party as moles to leaking information to APC and undermine the rebuilding process that we are aware of such devious plans and we are at alert.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we hereby reiterate categorically our rejection of Barr. Steve Oruruo as the acting Chairman of PDP Enugu State.
“Genuine party members are advised to patiently await directives from the National Headquarters, which will be swift.
“We reaffirm our total commitment to remain in PDP and rebuild it all over, ” the statement said.
