A Peoples Democratic Party PDP leader in Imo State and former diplomat, Ambassador Linus Iheanacho has warned the party to close ranks and ensure that the party goes into the general elections as one united party or be ready to forget the government House in 2019.
He said it will be very difficult for the party to win the governorship election in the State without the support of Sen. Samdaddy Anyanwu going by the number of his supporters and the level of goodwill he enjoys across the political parties in the State.
Iheanacho was speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the last PDP governorship primaries in the State and the decision of Anyanwu (popularly known as Samdaddy) to challenge the outcome of the primaries in court.
He said that Sen. Samdaddy Anyanwu has the constitutional rights to go to court if he feels aggrieved and wondered why some people who are supposed to be leaders in the party are vilifying him for exercising his right.
“I am of the opinion that what Sen Anyanwu has done is his right. It is better to approach the court to seek for redress than involving in acts of violence or anti party activities” he said.
Iheanacho regretted that negotiation could have been the best option in any case but wondered if the party explored that option before Sen Anyanwu went to court.
“You see, you don’t beat a child and expect the child not to cry. If really there were irregularities as Sen Anyanwu is alleging, the most sensible thing to do should have been for the party to call all stakeholders to a round table for sincere negotiations than allowing one party to go to court and some leaders taking sides. “This, will not lead the party to nowhere” he asserted.
The Oguta LGA born former University Don stated that it’s still not too late to bring the dissenting voices together in the interest of the party and Imolites but emphasized that both parties must bring something to the negotiation table for peace to reign.
“Both Ihedioha and Samdaddy are good candidates for the party but there is no way they can make any headway without one another. Samdaddy has grown capacity over the years and is naturally loved by the people so there is no way one can wish him away. This is evident in the kind of followers he had during his short period of campaign” he quipped.
Iheanacho called on the party leadership in the state and stakeholders not to allow the matter to continue to fester but to do everything possible to bring the two factions today as the general elections draws closer.
