Following recent pronouncements made by Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, the crisis rocking the Delta State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has escalated as two Party chieftains on Wednesday tendered their resignation letters to the party ahead of the upcoming 2023 General Elections.
Asides the protracted crisis rocking the Delta PDP, the alleged plan by the Governor to hand-pick his successor in the state has generated fresh fuss among PDP chieftains in the state.
The New Diplomat gathered that the Administrative Secretary, PDP, Delta State, Elder Charles Nwarache and the chairman, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, Hon. Peter Okocha have both resigned their membership over some “illegitimate” decisions made by the party.
The duo joined the growing list of top politicians in Delta North PDP who have dumped the party in recent days.
Recall on Tuesday, The New Diplomat had reported that Ogbuefi Anthony Ejiofor, Assistant State Organizing Secretary of the party, Chief Dennis Oguguamakwa Ndukwe (PDP Oshimili North ward 10) and Chief Dr. Ben Uwezu (ward 1) have all announced their decision to leave party.
Meanwhile, Nwarache in a letter conveying his resignation from PDP, Wednesday, stated that he made the decision over the allegations of anti-party activities levelled against him.
He stated that the party alleged him of anti-party activities in other to soil his reputation and his “well established good name” for refusing to join a campaign against Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who represents Delta North Senatorial District at the Senate.
“It is therefore obvious to me and the general public that this action is being televised from within and outside the ward to punish as well as tarnish my well established good name and image for the sole reason of my refusal to join their ill advised campaign of calumny against a sitting Senator thereby exhibiting undivided loyalty to my brother, friend, leader, and political mentor Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi who they have joined ehil forces to fight unjustly to kill politically hence this orchestrated attack on his supporters/followers,” Nwarache stated in the letter.
The party chieftain further explained that he made the decision “to save your party the problem of further continuation of your pre arranged persecution and to stop the charade of continuing as if all is well with well entrenched vicious enemies, I opt to leave your fold.”
Similarly, Okocha in his resignation letter stated that he decided to leave the party over an unjust and illegitimate decision of the Obidi-led disciplinary Committee to suspend him from the party over his decision to support the Senator Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi (SPON), a political movement dedicated to the senator.
He criticised the decision of the party to suspend him as well as other members for declaring their loyalty to Nwaoboshi.
The resignation letter partly reads, “I would like to notify you that I am resigning my position as the Oshimili North PDP leader and also my membership.
“This is due to illegitimate leadership of the Obidi led disciplinary Committee Administration which is obviously a misfortune to the party and its representing members, of which can view from the resent unideal suspension that accord to some of the party members just because of their prove of loyalty to their boss (SPON), of which my name was among those suspended,” he added.
The decision by the chieftains to quit PDP and deepened crisis was said to have been triggered by the looming decision on who succeeds Okowa in 2023.
The New Diplomat had reported that Okowa had disclosed that he would choose his successor in the next one month.
Although, Okowa hasn’t officially announced his successor, however, the party is believed to have agreed on rotating its flag bearer within the three Senatorial Districts.
However, Okowa who spoke during a quarterly media interactive session on Wednesday in Asaba denied making any agreement, stating that there was no gentleman agreement for power to rotate within the three Senatorial Districts in the state.
