A group in the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the Abia PDP Redemption Movement for 2027, has called for the immediate resignation or sack of the state chairman of the party, Allwell Asiforo.
The group which claimed to be “a network of all PDP volunteer organizations in Abia”, said it was worried by the poor performance of the party in 2023 polls, saying that the fortunes of the PDP must be restored if the party must do well in the 2027 elections in Abia.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the group’s Chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Kelechi; Secretary, Ignatius Ahanekwu; Abia North representative, Kalu Ike Ukah; Daniel Nwokocha, and Nma Okezie for Abia Central, and Abia South, respectively.
The group blamed the party’s abysmal performance in the 2023 general elections on the chairman’s alleged incompetence, expressing worry at the mass defections being suffered by the PDP in Abia under his watch.
Part of the group’s grouse against the former Speaker, Abia House of Assembly include the inability of the leadership of the party to facilitate the swearing in of one of its candidates declared winner of the House election by the court, Hon Aaron Uzodike, and the loss of the party’s State Secretariat.
Parts of the statement made available to journalists read: “It is no longer news that PDP has lost Power in Abia State they held since 1999. It is no tonger news that the 2023 elections organized by Hon. Allwell Asiforo is the worst since inception of PDP starting from the primaries to general elections.
“It is no longer news that an elected member of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Arron Uzodike has not been sworn in and the party has not done any practical thing other than weightless press conferences.
“It is no longer news that Abia PDP has no Secretariat. It is no longer news that Abia PDP has recorded more defections than any other party in the history of party Politics in Nigeria.”
The group claimed that the party is in disarray in the State as a result of Asiforo’s alleged highhandedness and therefore urged the national leadership of the PDP to remove him without further delay in line with the party’s constitution.
When contacted, Asiforo simply dismissed the group as “faceless”, and referred Arogidigba Global Journal to speak with the Vice Chairman and Publicity Secretary of the party, Elder Abraham Amah, for further response.
Responding, Amah who also described the group as amorphous, said it was unfair to blame the chairman for the misfortunes of the party when he delivered the party’s candidates in his polling unit and ward.
He challenged the group and other stakeholders of the party to produce evidence that they also delivered PDP in their respective polling units and wards.
Amah reminded the group that the only House of Representatives member in PDP is from Ukwa East/ Ukwa West constituency where the PDP Chairman, Asiforo, hails from.