2023: Ohaneze Threatens PDP, As Umahi, Two Other Govs, Beat Defection Drum |The Source

By Charles Igbo

In what is seen as the most serious political blackmail since 1999, the People Democratic Party, PDP, could be divorced by the South-east. To avoid this, however, the PDP has a choice which is to go back to the Zoning arrangement in its constitution.

Since Nigeria became a democracy, again, in 1999, the South- east has always been the bedrock of the PDP. It, however, lost its balance, a little, when APGA, fielded Peter Obi, and won in Anambra State. It worsened when Senator Orji Kalu’s party then, PPA, won both Abia and Imo States.

Kalu, as a PDP Governor, founded the PPA, as a fall back, when he was having problems with then President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The PDP, however, got the two states back when the then Governors, Imo’s Ikedi Ohakim, and Abia’s now Senator Theodore Orji, dumped Orji Kalu and his PPA, for the PDP.

But in 2011, the party lost Imo, again, to APGA, when the now Senator Rochas Okorocha, swept Ohakim out of office. Okorocha went ahead to do what was thought to be the impossible  when he jumped over to the APC, and  gave Imo to it.

The PDP had a reprieve, for seven months, with Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s victory in 2019. Sadly for the party, the Supreme Court cut its victory short when it removed Ihedioha, and declared Senator Hope Uzodinma winner.

Yet, even with the hiccups, the South-east people are majorly PDP.

But if the ambition of  a couple of the South- east Governors is anything to go by, that is likely to change. The zone could become APC.

Leading the pack is the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, who has never hidden three things:.

* His love for President Muhammadu Buhari which he professes at any given opportunity. As a PDP Governor, with then President Goodluck Jonathan in office, and running for a second term, he had said he was going to vote Buhari.

*His ambition to be either the next President or Vice President.

When Peter Obi was chosen over him for the PDP Vice Presidential slot, his anger knew no end. Before then, businessman, Chief Arthur Eze, had presented him to Buhari, at a rally in Abuja, as a successor, if he was looking for one from the South-east.

*His love for the APC.

For long, the rumour has been strong that Umahi was all set to decamp to the APC. He had reportedly told both his supporters and cabinet members so, and asked them to prepare to join him. Last week, one of his  Commissioners quit, allegedly, for not wanting to join him in the APC.

The other time, the Ebonyi PDP had, strangely, under Umahi’s watch, threatened the PDP to zone the Presidency to the South- east or face consequences.

Now, Umahi, is, reportedly, wooing two other Governors in the South-east to decamp along with him to the APC, ostensibly to make the APC zone the Presidency to the South-east. One of the two being touted is, not surprisingly, Anambra’s Willie Obiano, whose party, APGA, is becoming extinct.

The next, unconfirmed sourcees say, is Abia’s Dr Okezie Ikpeazu. With a combination of Imo’s Uzodinma, if the plans work out,  the South-east would automatically become an APC zone.

To worsen it, the Youth wing of  Ohaneze Nd’Igbo, Ohaneze Youth Council, OYC, has been convinced to join the fray. The group is threatening the PDP to make  a statement that it would stick to its Zoning policy, as is enshrined  in its constitution,  or lose the zone to the APC.

The Ohanaeze  Youth Council, OYC, worldwide, in its threat,  claimed that three governors in the South-east would lead a mass defection from the PDP unless the party zones the 2023 presidency to the Zone .

In a statement signed by  its President-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro  Comrade Achionye, Deputy President General and  Okwu Nnabuike, Secretary-General,  it told the PDP that  the proposed emergency PDP Board of Trustees, BoT,  November 18 meeting,  and the National Executive Council meeting scheduled for November 19 2020, should be an opportunity  to revert to zoning as enshrined in its constitution.

The OYC says the party zoning formula favours Southeast for presidency come 2023.

For that, the OYC has warned it would deal  with any  Igbo politician who dares  negotiate for the  Vice Presidential slot.

“Failure of PDP BoT and NEC to stand down the NWC’s decision for an unconstitutional “open Contest” and revert back to zoning formula, will inevitably lead to  collapse of PDP machinery in Southeast as three igbo Governors will lead Igbos into mass defection from PDP to APC. This is the final warning to PDP,” OYC warned.

Analysts are laughing at the OYC. They ask how far the OYC thinks its threat would go. They also ask how they know that the APC, for example, would zone the Presidency to the South- east. For now, a political analyst, Chief Uche Emerenini, told this magazine, “The focus of the APC is on the South-west. The party has an array of candidates it is considering. They are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju  Bola Tinubu, Babatunde Fasola, SAN, and Ekiti Governor, Dr  Kayode Fayemi.”

They are also laughing at Umahi. Said Chief  Chinedum Onuoha, “How Umahi thinks APC would skip those in the South-east zone who have been with the party from the beginning, and give him the Presidential or Vice Presidential ticket is funny. Our people should get serious.”