ENUGU 2015: ENGR. VITA ABBA DENIES SELLING OUT TO EKWEREMADU’S CAMP

The immediate past Enugu State Chairman of PDP, Engr. Vita Abba, spoke to journalists on his return from medical treatment abroad having resigned his position to seek elective office and also about the crisis that ushered in the division in the state chapter of the party. Sit back and enjoy the interview.

You resigned your position as the Enugu PDP Chairman to pursue your ambition for elective office. At the time you were Chairman, what were your experiences like?
For about seven years now, through the instrumentality of God, I piloted the affairs of the party smoothly. I want to equally acknowledge the efforts of Governor Sullivan Chime for giving me a free hand to run the party. I must attribute the success of my administration to all party stakeholders that culminated in Enugu being one of the few states that is PDP hundred percent. It is a very interesting period given the difficulty associated with managing people especially a large family like the PDP. I can beat my chest to have served my state and party meritoriously for seven years. That is why I want to contribute further to national service.

Your resignation as party Chairman was trailed by controversy. The impression was that you sold out to the Ike Ekweremadu camp. What actually happened?
You know we are in the political circle and you would expect blackmail. I am not surprised. I must thank God for giving me back my health because the world needs to know that I had health challenges. Through God’s special grace, I am back and fit. The idea of tilting to any camp is not news to me. I didn’t run the party in different camps. So, I do not believe there is any camp in Enugu PDP. This is a calculated attempt to smear my reputation which I guard jealousy. I distinguished myself in the leadership of the party for over seven years. The accusation is unfounded and in bad faith. If after seven years, nobody was able to buy me with money, you can see that it’s the handiwork of mischief makers. It is pertinent to state that there has never been any attempt by me to sell out to the Ekweremadu camp. If anybody has evidence contrary to my stance, let the person come out publicly to talk. It’ s a politically unfounded allegation.

Looking at the PDP in the state now, one can say that the crisis rocking the party can directly be traced to your resignation.
You must understand that there is a procedure for doing things in the party. Enugu is one of the few states where the party Chairman resigned. It happened in Ebonyi, Delta and Niger. It is not news that a party Chairman decided to resign to run for elective office. Its is obvious that a man who has successfully led the party for over seven years should try himself in government to deliver service to the people. My resignation should not be news. It’s normal. Although my resignation has turned out differently in Enugu, I know that there will eventually be peace because these are brothers fighting a political fight. We are from the same family of PDP. I do not have any fear that these things will be sorted out.

The story is that you were promised automatic ticket for the House of Representatives for Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South federal constituency. Was it at the point you realized that the ticket is not automatic that you had health challenges?
It is a rumour. As a human being, you are bound to be healthy or fall sick. The question of what I was promised is really unfounded. The PDP guidelines are clear on how to attain elective positions. Anybody going against the guidelines is doing so at his own risk. I have helped to build the party and I have to do things rightly. It’s an unfounded story just like the cheap allegation that I sold out. Obviously, as a party Chairman, you would have political enemies both from within the party and from outside. The perception in the public domain is unfounded.

Now that you are going to House of Reps, you must have purchased your form and submitted. How are you prosecuting this new agenda?
I call the agenda a change of baton. I will not call it an ambition. I regard it as a continuation of service. I derive joy in serving my people. If I find myself in that hallowed chambers, I feel it will afford me an opportunity to continue serving the people. I put it in the people’s hands. If they want me to represent them, I am ready to do so with my wealth of experience.

How do feel with the aspiration for House of Reps having aspired to be governor. You were one of aspirants that attended the Enugu-North senatorial zone caucus meeting on September 26 where you were one of those who moved for consensus arrangement that favoured Hon. Ugwuanyi. Why did you back down on the first aspiration?
PDP is a family. If there is a family meeting, it is expected that all family members will agree with the decision reached at the meeting. So, I wholeheartedly agree with the family decision. I have no regrets for agreeing with the family decision. Secondly, there is no harm in aspiring for a position. If you aspire, if God blesses it, you get it. All power comes from God. The fact that you did not get A does not mean that you cannot go for B. If you are thirsty for service, it does not matter at what level are you serving. Any level you are, you will play a good part. That’s my idea of service. You don’t have to be the president of Nigeria to serve your country. You can serve the country from any office. The word is service.

How do feel that a house you led for seven years is now divided into two camps, one led by Governor Chime and the other by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu?
It’s disheartening and unfortunate to note what is happening. Personally I am not happy about the development. As the former party Chairman, I will tell you that the party never had two camps. There is a state leader and everybody queues behind him. The governor is the leader of the party according to the party’s Constitution. To the best of my knowledge, he has enjoyed tremendous cooperation from Ike Ekweremadu and other members of the National Assembly. As the Chairman who presides over all the caucuses in the state, I know that Ekweremadu has tremendous respect for the governor and the governor equally has reciprocated by living up to expectation as the state leader. It is never my intention to see the house I built divided. I call on the people of Enugu State, religious and traditional leaders to intervene in the squabble. If we destroy the state, we cannot run to another state. My advice is very clear, everybody should sheath his sword.

The primaries are around the corner. With the court nullification of the ward congress in the state, how will the party cope?
Its a challenging period for us but the problem is not insurmountable. The national leadership of the party is on top of the situation. I know that effort is being made to bring the problem to a peaceful resolution. Enugu is not the only state where there is problem. Definitely, PDP, will do the needful. It does not matter what people are saying. What is right is right. My advice is that people should be patient. Enugu will not be left behind.

Are you at variance with the position of your party at the national level? The national secretariat has serially asserted that the Aja-led camp is the recognized leadership. What is your position?
Nobody is at variance with the national secretariat. This is an issue of talking and explaining your own side of the situation. In primaries, contending parties definitely have different positions. At the end of the day, they will come together to agree. The issue of being at variance does not hold at this point. The issue is what is right? We should not be doing things that are not clear. If you say there was a primary, you should be able to bring the evidence. If you say there was no primary, is there evidence that there was none? This is a clear cut matter which should not be judged politically. As far as I am concerned, what is seen, what is verifiable should be the guiding principle. I came back from my medical treatment abroad on November 1 and was in Enugu same day. I did not see any ward congress hold.

From: http://tectono..com/