20-06-2018.

PRESS STATEMENT

The attention of the Peoples Democratic  Party (PDP), Imo State  Chapter, has been  drawn to an infantile and atavistic attempt by some paid hirelings  to discredit the image of our indefatigable State  Chairman, Chief (Barr)  Charles Babatunde  Ezekwe (Ikemba  Okigwe), albeit  unsuccessfully.
In the latest onslaught against our Chairman, just like the last futile attempt that received tumultuous public condemnation, the paid urchins alleged that our Chairman master-minded an Oath taking exercise involving some PDP LGA Chairmen in conjunction with a governorship aspirant of our party.
According to their ridiculous account of the childish and non-existent event, the oath taking took place in Umuahia, Abia State, before a river goddess.  These desperadoes equally alleged that Chief Ezekwem in 2014 did same on behalf of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume before the PDP Governorship primaries.
To any rational and discerning mind, this fruitless accusation by a faceless group which styles itself as “Imo PDP Watchdog” is fit only for the garbage bin.  It is unthinkable  that in this 21st century, some people could still resort  to such despicable approach in their blind quest for power, which only  God Almighty can bestow on whomsoever He so wishes.
Our Chairman, Chief (Barr) Charles Babatunde Ezekwem,  is nevertheless, not bothered by this infantile and puerile political gimmick tailored towards arm twisting him and the State Working Committee (SWC) of our party, ahead  of the 2018 Imo  PDP  Governorship primaries.  He remains committed to positively transforming the PDP in Imo State and will NEVER be deterred by the rantings or blackmailous activities of a few mercantile party men, who are propelled by inordinate selfish ambitions.  The PDP can never go back to its vomit.
As a committed party Chairman, Chief Ezekwem had already foreseen this tantrums being hurled at him now becaus to positively carry out a populist revolution in the party might not go down well with some enemies of the PDP within.  The present petty attacks on him have proven him right.
However, the PDP, Imo State unequivocally states that the party under the dynamic leadership of Chief Ezekwem, a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, shall not shy away from its responsibilities to our members and Imo people.
Our Chairman’s purposeful and visionary road map towards repositioning the party and making it a primus inter pares among political parties in Imo State cannot be disrupted under any guise.
The blackmailers and their sponsor should know that as President of the Less Privileged in our Society, Chief Ezekwem enjoys massive support among party members.  He is made of thick skin and has vowed not to succumb to any blackmailous schemes.  He is even waiting for more attacks from these misguided society misfits.
For the avoidance of doubt, Chief Ezekwem remains committed to transparent, credible, free and fair PDP primaries that will ultimately win the goodwill and support of Imo people enroute the occupation of Douglas House, Owerri, come 2019 by a PDP elected governor.  It is in this vein that he has consistently maintained  an open door policy where  all aspirants are accorded  equal treatment  devoid of any discrimination whatsoever as the  rebranded PDP belongs to everybody.
Obviously, some people are not happy with this feat. Associating him with oath taking to coerce people to indulge in reprehensible action, shows how desperate mean and stupid some enemies of the party are.
Ironically, the sponsors of this beer parlour story within the PDP forgot that Chief Ezekwem is the image of PDP in Imo State.  An attack on him tantamounts to an attack on the corporate image of the PDP.  The innocent LGA party Chairmen being linked to this bizarre oath taking activities also represent the effigy of the party at the grassroot.
Like late Prof. Chinua Achebe said “it is only a prodigal son who points at his father’s compound with the left hand”.  These renegades throwing these unnecessary blackmailous punches are prodigal sons in PDP, whose sole aim is to set the party on fire.  But that can’t happen.
Even more appalling is the attribute made to one Chinaemerem, Ezinihitte LGA party Chairman of our party and Chairman of all Chairmen in Imo State, in the whole nonsensical story. Chinaemerem, as an educated man, ought to know that it is only a mad man that sets fire on his own house, turns around with hands akimbo and say, “alas light has come into this house”. He should look well before leaping as the “sound of the bitter kola in the mount, is not how it actually tastes”.
In conclusion, the SWC of our party, while completely dissociating our able Chairman, Chief (Barr) Charles Babatunde Ezekwem (Ikemba Okigwe) and President of the Less Privileged in our Society, from the thoughtless report of oath taking, we advise those peddling the wicked publication “to chew with caution”.
To our knowledge, our Chairman as a devout Christian has no knowledge of any such incident involving any PDP LGA Chairman with any governorship aspirant. It is just a campaign of calumny.
The State Working Committee (SWC) of our great Party further wishes to restate vehemently that there is no organization or group known as “Imo PDP Watchdog”. The purported members of the non-existent group are imposters who have no affiliation or relationship whatsoever with the PDP in Imo State.
Besides, we believe that any aspirant has the right to invite party members to any meeting for cross-pollination of ideas in the interest  of the party. This should not in any way be misconstrued to mean anything untoward against any other party member or even the party itself.
All PDP leaders, stakeholders, members and supporters should therefore, discountenance the activities of the so called and faceless “Imo PDP Watchdog”.  This group, to our knowledge, neither exists nor have any verifiable identification.
They must know that the “slow movement of the crocodile, does not mean it has lost the power to kill”.  We believe that at the appropriate time, nemesis and the law of redistributive justice will catch up with all fifth columnist in PDP.  God shall expose their perfidious acts sooner than later.
Long live PDP, Imo State
Long live, Chief (Barr) Charles Babatunde Ezekwem (Ikemba Okigwe)
 
Signed:
 
Hon. Damian Oparah
State Publicity Secretary
PDP, Imo State