The crisis rocking the Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got messier as the faction loyal to Chief Chris Uba has suspended the acting Chairman of the party in the state, Mr Okey Asolo.
The Chairman of the Ndubisi Nwobu-led faction of PDP, Asolo, had on April 2 suspended Uba and Chief Linus Ukachukwu for anti-party activities.
The factional PDP in a Communiqué after its meeting signed by Mr Alex Anah and Mr Chigbo Onyia, its chairman and secretary respectively on Tuesday in Awka said that Asolo has no ground to be the party’s state chairman.
According to them, Asolo has been suspended from his Ward (13) Onitsha North Local Government Area of the state for violation of party’s constitution.
The party said the suspension of Asolo was anchored on the provisions of Article 58 (1) and 59 (1) and (2) of the PDP Constitution 2017 as amended.
The communique also said that the suspension was upheld by the Onitsha North LGA chapter of the party which met on Monday.
Consequently Onitsha North Local Government Executive of the PDP held a meeting on April 4 and considered the notice.
“We came to the conclusion that Comrade Okey Asolo actually violated the provisions of the PDP Constitution 2017 as amended, by his actions and we upheld the said suspension and he was equally suspended in the Onitsha North Local Government Area PDP of Anambra State” the statement added
In another development, the Forum of Elected Local Government Chairmen in Anambra has dissociated itself from the suspension of Uba and Ukachukwu.
The group had written to the national leadership of the party alleging that Asolo and his group want to destabilise the party in Anambra state .
“We dissociate ourselves from this figment of imagination of Okey Asolo and cohorts purporting to have suspended Chief Chris Uba and Chief Linus Ukachukwu from the PDP.
“By their action, there is no gainsaying the fact that their sole aim is to destabilize the People’s Democratic Party
“Therefore we urge you, members of the National Executive Committee of our party to disregard the purported suspension of the two high profile leaders of our great party,” it stated.
Recall that Asolo took over from Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu as acting Chairman on April 2 and suspended Chief Chris Uba, a member of PDP Board of Trustees and Chief Linus Ukachukwu, a chieftain of the party.