ENUGU: CHIME HOLDS SECRET MEETING MEETING WITH FASHOLA, FAYEMI ENUGU—GOVERNOR Sullivan Chime and his supporters in Enugu State may dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and pitch tents with the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN as efforts to reconcile his political camp with that of the National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo have failed. Chime met secretly with two ACN governors, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and his Ekiti State counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi in Enugu Saturday where they reportedly discussed the possibility of Chime and his followers moving over to ACN to contest the forthcoming elections since the rivalry in the state chapter of PDP could not be resolved. Reliable sources told Vanguard that the meeting held behind closed doors at the Governor’s Lodge, Enugu was to prepare grounds for Chime’s defection to the new party in the next few days and the governors’ visit was said to be in response to Chime’s invitation. The visiting Lagos and Ekiti governors arrived Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu in a chartered aircraft at about 11.30 am yesterday and were received by some unidentified officials of the Enugu state government who promptly took them to the Government House where they held the meeting for about an hour with Chime and departed in the same chartered flight to Lagos at 1 pm. Although details of their discussions was not made public, some politicians in the state who spoke on the development said the meeting by the three governors might not be unconnected with Chime’s moves to join ACN where he can easily pick a governorship ticket since the crisis in the PDP appears to have put his camp in the factional war In a precarious situation. It was however gathered that the talks between Chime and the visiting governors may have gone on well as the governor and his supporters are expected to formerly declare for ACN and commence mobilization of his supporters to identify with the new political party. The State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, reacting to the speculation that the meeting was to prepare grounds for Chime’s defection, said that it was laughable as it exposed the frustration of the merchants of such falsehood. Ugwoke said: “Why would any sane landlord vacate a house he labored to build for a squatter? Governor Chime is on the driver’s seat that is PDP and is cruising comfortably. It is only the distraught few who are envious of his successes and acceptability that are spreading the blatant lies to sustain the false hopes of their drowning and deceived followers. The governorship primaries will happen in a matter of days and we will watch the story-tellers come up with excuses to try to justify their imminent electoral failure. “Yes, Governors Fashola and Fayemi came on a friendly visit but the truth is that Governor Chime remains the leader of PDP in Enugu State and is not talking with any other party. His focus for now is how to deliver the state’s bloc votes for President Jonathan at next week’s primaries after he would have secured his own and the tickets of other PDP aspirants in the earlier primaries. It smacks of utter mischief for anybody to insinuate that the visit translates to plans by Governor Chime to join any other party. This is totally not true.” But speaking on the two governors’ visit, former National Auditor of PDP, Barrister Ray Nnaji said although he was not in a position to say if their discussions centered on the possibility of Chime moving over to another party, there was nothing wrong for the governor to make an alternative plan especially with the ongoing rivalry in the state chapter of PDP. “I am not aware that Chime is leaving the PDP. I heard of the visit by the two governors but it could be a friendly visit but PDP should not expect the governor to put all his eggs in one basket. The governor who has been in office for three years and has done very well to merit re-election should be expected to have Plan B. “Even those who are clamouring to hijack the PDP structure in Enugu State cannot deliver the state to PDP in forthcoming elections yet the national leadership of the party is not bothered. If Nwodo as PDP Chairman and his group are out to frustrate him (Chime), he should use his Plan B. What is happening in the state is enough for one to start thinking of Plan B. Every effort had been made to resolve the crisis in PDP yet there appears to be no headway. It will be a very big minus for the PDP if Chime happens to use his Plan B,” said Nnaji who is a member of the governor’s faction.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 03:09:07 +0000
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