Enugu PDP Stalwart Quits, Accuses Party Of Neglecting Youth

A former chairmanship aspirant in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon. Obinna Mama, has given reasons for quitting his membership of the PDP.

Mama, in his letter of resignation addressed to the chairman of the party in his Ezimo Ward, said the decision was arrived at after consultations with his family and allies. He stated that his decision was with immediate effect.

Throwing more light on his decision on Monday, Mama blamed the state PDP’s failure to recognise young people, “including those with master’s degrees”, for his decision. He recalled that he was a supporter of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu’s governorship bid in 2023 but transferred his support to Gov. Peter Mbah when Ekweremadu withdrew from the race.

He said his ordeal began shortly afterwards, following a petition against him, leading to his detention at the FCID Abuja for about three months. He claimed his arrest was informed by “internal PDP power tussles and stakeholders’ clash of interest over the gubernatorial position”.

Mama said, “Upon my release, I realigned with the party and was rewarded with an automatic appointment letter as an Assistant Lecturer at Enugu State College of Education Technical (ESCET) through the then Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s executive powers. I resumed work in good faith and, together with other new staff members, mobilised support for Barr Mba’s campaign agenda. As a token of my commitment, I donated a significant portion of my first salary to Barr Mba’s campaign organisation.”

The ex-PDP stalwart said he had expected an increase in the subvention of ESCET when Gov. Mbah was elected. Quoting him, “Instead, he disengaged the new 94 academic and non-academic staff members who were waiting to receive their confirmation letters, despite arrears of over 13 months. This decision was devastating, and some staff members couldn’t bear the pain, leading to unfortunate consequences, including the death of some.”

He said he wrote several pleas to the governor, where he highlighted the plight of the affected staff members. “While the governor reinstated staff members disengaged from other ministries, ESCET was left behind. The lack of stakeholder intervention and the governor’s indifference to our plight were disheartening.”

He also recalled his bid to become the LG chairman of Udenu LGA and how the party’s decision to present a consensus candidate truncated his dream. In his words, “Despite this, I continued to support the party and work for its interest. However, the party’s activities have been less engaging, and the lack of opportunities for young people, including those with master’s degrees, has been disappointing. Given these experiences, I decided to leave the PDP. The party’s failure to recognise and reward the loyalty and efforts of its members, particularly the youth, has been disheartening.

“The preference for ‘outsiders’ and ‘ancestors’ over loyal party members has also been a significant factor in my decision. I hope that my story will serve as a testament to the importance of valuing and recognising the contributions of party members.”

Enugu PDP Stalwart Quits, Accuses Party Of Neglecting Youth is first published on The Whistler Newspaper