Crisis Rocks PDP As Party Members Pass Vote Of No Confidence On Chairman
Following the attacks by the thugs, it was gathered that the ward chairmen vowed not to attend any meeting conveyed by the local government party chairman until he decides to do the constitutional thing.
Crisis is said to be brewing in the Isoko North Local Government Area chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in Delta State over who controls the ward executives of the party, SaharaReporters has learnt.
It was reliably gathered that the chairmen forum of the party in the local government and the PDP chairman, Bernard Idisi are said to be at loggerheads over who controls the leadership of the wards and as a result, the ward chairmen have passed a vote of no confidence on the party chairman.
SaharaReporters reliably gathered that trouble started on Tuesday in Ozoro, headquarters of the local government when the local government party chairman, Bernard Idisi allegedly attempted to illegally and unconstitutionally inaugurate the leadership of forum of ward chairmen of the PDP in Isoko North.
It was learnt that during a meeting of the ward chairmen to put in place their leadership, thugs suspected to be working under the instructions of the party chairman invaded the venue of the meeting, attacked the chairmen and disrupted the meeting.
Following the attacks by the thugs, it was gathered that the ward chairmen vowed not to attend any meeting conveyed by the local government party chairman until he decides to do the constitutional thing.
Speaking to SaharaReporters over the crisis, a ward chairman who pleaded not to be mentioned accused the local government party chairman of fanning the ember of discord and disunity in the party.
“As I talk to you now, serious crisis is already tearing apart the party in the local government. There was a chaotic situation on Tuesday when the local government chairman of the party Mr. Benard Idisi unlawfully and unconstitutionally made attempt to inaugurate persons who are not lawfully fit to pilot the affairs of the leadership of the ward chairmen forum. The action of the chairman infuriated majority of who are ward chairmen and we rejected the list and the entire process. Just to grab power, the party chairman sponsored thugs to attack us during our meeting to have our leadership in place.
“We insisted that Mr. Bernard Idisi should allow the forum members to select her leaders as they are ready to follow due process and equity. We the chairmen at various wards condemned in its entirety the level of disunity being perpetrated by the party chairman who claimed to have been taking instructions from an individual in the party in Isoko North and ignored the existing party structure. Idisi is not fit to lead the party at all. He does not listen to anybody apart from the man who brought him and installed him as chairman of the party. As chairmen of wards, we have passed a vote of no confidence on Idisi.
“We expected Mr. Bernard Idisi to work hard towards the unity of the party rather than creating factions and division everywhere. We have lost total confidence in the leadership of Mr Bernard Idisi and we advise him to adopt an all inclusive governance as better option instead of putting the party in one man’s hand because the party belongs to every member.
“As ward chairmen, we have elected Hon. Benedict Ulebe as the chairman of the forum, we have Utore Michael as vice chairman, Oneroha Ovie as Sectary, Solomon Owhadhowho as treasurer and Onosakponome Owhe as the PRO. I want to passionately appeal to the leadership of the party to allow us as chairmen of the wards forum manage the party at the grass root level.”, one of the ward chairmen stated.
Also reacting to the crisis in the party, an ex-official of PDP who pleaded to remain anonymous lamented the situation, saying the party belongs to everyone and if the current crisis is not properly handled it might tear into pieces the structure of the party in the local government, adding that “I condemn in its entirety the crisis. Let the ward chairmen choose their leaders let any individual forcing leadership on them. We need peace in the party.”
When contacted on the issue, the chairman of PDP, Isoko North, Bernard Idisi, denied all the allegations saying there was no crisis in the party.
“There is no crisis in our party in Isoko North. We cannot allowed troublesome individuals to have access to leadership in our party and that was why we refused one Ulebe to be the chairman of chairmen of the ward forum of chairmen.
“He’s a troublesome person and as a party we can’t allow such persons to lead the forum. Ulebe is violent, he wanted to be the chairman at all time. Can you make a violent person a leader.?
“Before my emergence, I have been fighting to see there is peace in PDP in Isoko North which has been so factionalised. Two weeks after our Congress, Some group of people, chairmen went and form chairmen of wards forum without my knowledge. Some people want to remain in power and we said no. But I can tell you, there is no crisis in the party.”, Idisi said.
