Okowa, Uduaghan, Others Warn against Impunity in ‘ New PDP’
Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
Asaba, the Delta State capital, was agog on Friday as the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held a general meeting to celebrate the victory of the Senator Ahmed Markafi-led Caretaker National Committee at the Supreme Court with the party leaders united in warning against all forms of impunity under the new dispensation ushered in by the court victory.
The leaders also urged all members of the party to be magnanimous in victory and not to engage in divisive activities by trying to shut the door against others who belonged to so-called other faction of PDP before the landmark apex court victory. Okowa, Uduaghan, state PDP chairman, Chief Kingsley Esiso, Chairman of PDP (South-South zone), Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, Speaker of the state legislature, Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, exinformation minister, Prof Sam Oyovbaire and party board of trustees member, Senator Stella Omu, harped on the need to respect the supremacy of the party and promote inclusiveness principle especially at the grassroots.
Okowa, was joined by other party leaders and members including the immediate past governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, whose entry into the meeting was greeted with arousing salute from the large audience who were in celebration mood. Uduaghan's presence at the state general meeting would lay to rest the rumoured plan of the former governor to desert the party, an allegation that was fueled by Uduaghan's widely reported absence from the public gathering of the party tagged "PDP Mega Rally" recently held at Sapele.
Following their conspicuous non-attendance at the said rally, Uduaghan, ex-governor James Ibori and the impeached speaker of state house of assembly, Hon Monday Igbuya was interpreted in some quarters as indicative of cracks in the wall for the state PDP and possibly a quiet objection to the widespread endorsement of Okowa for a second term as Governor.
Uduaghan, who commended his successor for what he called and excellent work particularly in the area of road construction across the state in the last two years, stressed that the envisaged reborn PDP must move away from the old practice whereby elected and appointed political office holders saw their offices seemed to forget that they were holding such positions in trust for the entire party.