The Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the caretaker committee appointed by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC). The committee, led by Hon. Vitus Okechi, was set up after the PDP’s Elective National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State. However, Barr. Steve Oruruo, the chairman of the Enugu State PDP, has insisted that he remains the legitimate chairman of the party in the state.
Oruruo argued that the dissolution of the Enugu State Executive Committee by the NWC was a nullity, as it contravened the party’s constitution. He cited sections 45 (2-4) and 47 (6) of the constitution, which provide that the tenure of a state chairman should be completed by the vice chairman and state secretary in the event of the chairman’s resignation. Oruruo claimed that the motion to dissolve the state executive committee was misguided and prejudiced, and that it disobeyed a court order that reaffirmed his position as state chairman alongside the party’s secretary, Hon. Martins Onyeanwa Ugwuamadi-Eze.
The court order, according to Oruruo, restrained the NWC from appointing anyone to take over the offices of chairman and secretary in Enugu State. He called on party faithful and supporters to remain vigilant and ignore distractions aimed at destabilizing the party. Oruruo’s rejection of the caretaker committee has highlighted the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP, both at the national and state levels.
The Enugu State PDP chairman’s stance is significant, as it challenges the authority of the NWC and raises questions about the party’s adherence to its constitution. The development may have implications for the party’s internal dynamics and its preparations for future elections. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the NWC will respond to Oruruo’s rejection of the caretaker committee and whether the party will be able to resolve its internal conflicts.
