By Chinonso Alozie

Owerri- Members of the Imo state Social Democratic Party, SDP, on Tuesday exchanged blows as well as destroyed some of their properties in Owerri, after accusing the national executive of the party, of allegedly planning to conduct a one-sided congress to favour a group of people in the SDP. 

The Acting Imo State Chairman, of the SDP, Mr Ben Anochie, who confirmed this to Vanguard in Owerri, also said the congress could not hold because of the battle among members of the party.

He told Vanguard, “The problem is that the main structure of the SDP which has been in existence for almost a decade felt that the National body that came to organise for the congress has sold out. Out of the 34 positions they only gave four positions to the main structure of the SDP, including the secretary position so they got angry and said that it will not happen. The Congress did not hold.

“As a result of this, the misunderstanding led to fighting. I was not there when the battle started I was called and I came to calm down the whole situation.”   

“Another member, of the party who did not want his name mentioned,  also claimed that the genesis of the problem started when a governorship aspirant for the SDP paid the rent of the office, as from then, other members took it as if the party was sold to the governorship aspirant,” he said.