FROM: KINGSLEY OMONOBI
As the battle for who takes over the mantle of leadership from erstwhile PDP chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo hots up among the trio of former Senate President, Ayim Pius Ayim, Chief Ojo Madueke, and former Vice chairman, Chief Osichukwu, a political activist from Enugu state, chief Willy Ezugwu has advised President Goodluck Jonathan not to succumb to view of Governors of South East that the zone was not interested in producing another chairman for the PDP.

“President Jonathan must avoid the pressure from these men (governors) to unsettle the fragile political equation in his party and should do that which will encourage fairness and equity. He should not in any way pander to the selfish ambition of these men whose only intention is to remain the highest political office holders from the South-East” he said.

Ezugwu warned that the people of the South-East will use their votes to sanction President Goodluck Jonathan if he consents to the position of the governors that the people of the geo-political zone are not interested in the chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party.

According to him, President Jonathan must be wary of the governors from that part of the country to avoid playing into the selfish agenda of those saying they do not want their region, the South-East, to retain the PDP chairmanship.

While warning that moving the PDP chairmanship to another part of the country will further reduce the number of the South-East People who hold office under the party, he said, “It is only logical that someone from the same zone as Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo steps in as PDP chairman the same way Nwodo took over from Prince Vincent Ogbulafor.”

He continued, “If democratic principles are genuinely followed, the four PDP governors of the South-East states only have one vote each, so at what point have they taken on the powers to dictate for the millions of party members and citizens in the region?

“President Jonathan should also recall that these were the same governors who were initially indecisive during the constitutional challenges leading to his emergence as president. He should ask himself whether these men are in a position to offer advice on how to grow democracy and governance in the country.”

“It is unfortunate the governors were lamenting about one of them having a raw deal in the hands of the former PDP Chairman. If the governors did enough to ensure that their states are run the way they should be run in a democracy then they have nothing to fear” he said.