By Tony Edike

ENUGU— THE national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has decided to wade into the impeachment move against the deputy governor of Enugu State, Chief Sunday Onyebuchi, to prevent the dispute from degenerating into a major political crisis in the state.

The intervention of PDP leadership, Vanguard learnt, followed representations made by some party stakeholders from the state who reportedly met in Abuja, Tuesday, to review the disturbing development in the state.

According to sources at the meeting, the party leaders are uncomfortable with the impeachment move against the deputy governor as they feared that the development could lead to a major political upheaval in the state chapter of the party.

A source said: “After the meeting of concerned members of the party held at a private residence in Abuja Tuesday evening, some personalities from the state met with the national leadership of the party to brief them of the current development in their home state.

“After the meeting, the party leaders agreed to send a delegation to Enugu to meet with Governor Sullivan Chime to seek ways of resolving the dispute. The delegation has already notified the governor of their planned visit to Enugu.”

Delegation to meet governor
The source said the delegation, which was expected to arrive Enugu last night, would meet with the governor to seek ways of reaching amicable resolution of the impeachment saga.

The deputy governor, who was said to have travelled out of the state before the impeachment motion was moved on the floor of the state Assembly on Tuesday, is yet to return to the state and has not reacted formally to the impeachment notice.

Worried by the gale of impeachment across the country, the national leadership of PDP on Tuesday cautioned its legislators against joining the impeachment bandwagon.
The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh, gave the warning while briefing newsmen on Tuesday.

He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, PDP has never been involved in any impeachment process and we wish to publicly urge our members in all the state houses of assembly to thread with caution and be guided by due process and Rule of Law in the execution of their legislative duties.”

‘I gave him an option’
However, Governor Chime, who reacted to the impeachment notice served on his deputy in a telephone interview with a national daily on Tuesday, said he had given the deputy governor the option of resigning from his position before the commencement of the impeachment proceedings against him by the House of Assembly.

Chime said before the problem between him and his deputy blew open, he had tolerated a lot from him all in a bid to protect “our common family called PDP.”
He said rather than possibly accept the option of resigning and show remorse over his activities, the deputy governor remained defiant.

He said his deputy had engaged in acts aimed at undermining him as a governor several times, but he decided to turn a blind eye to his activities in the overall interest of the state.
Chime is reported to have said: “By the time I open my mouth, everybody will be shocked to know what had been happening between my deputy and I in the past years.

“It has actually come to a point where we need to know who is actually boss because we can no longer work together. Let the House of Assembly do their job and see if, indeed, he is fit to remain as the deputy governor.
“How can I ask my deputy to represent me in a meeting of the South-East Governors’ Forum where the deputy governor of Anambra represented his governor; I think the deputy governor of Imo State also represented his governor; and my own said that he was not informed?”