– Ihedioha’s men fingered
As progressives across the Nation continue to advocate for a paradigm shift and a free and fair exercise anchored on internal democracy, free of imposition by god-fathers and money bags, Orlu PDP is at the verge of an implosion owing to imposition of candidates who are mainly old and archaic men on the party.
An investigation carried out by Community Watchdog revealed that the party leaders during the last LGA congress shut out relatively young people who are mainly core loyalists of the party and appointed elderly men as puppets to mann the affairs of the party for another tenure.
The development has since pitted the leaders and other members of the party against each other, having realized that those who were so appointed or imposed have no capacity to move the party forward except serving the selfish interests of those who appointed them.
Though, there has been no confrontation yet, sources described the prevailing situation as a cold war which now exists among party leaders that could explode any moment from now if the turbulence and provocation is not checked.
Among those returned as elected in Orlu LGA PDP chapter are a retired Secondary School Principal, who is over 80 years, a former Transition committee chairman of the LGA who is also over 80 years as Vice Chairman.He had served under Achike Udenwa in 2003.
One of the ward chairmen who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity recently stated that he was told that those who manipulated the exercise for their selfish interest are loyalists of Emeka Ihedioha. He wondered how an opposition party would believe that it can win election through imposition of candidates.
When contacted, the Chairman of the Congress Committee in Orlu LGA and former Commissioner for Health, Dr Vin Udokwu described the exercise as transparent. He argued that there was directive from the state for parties involved to harmonize, which they carried out and everybody participated. According to him, no doubt some persons may not be comfortable with the outcome of the congress but it was done in good faith.
