By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Some members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State literally flexed muscles and were almost turn apart on Thursday while sharing hundreds of dollars given to them by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and 2023 presidential aspirant of the party.
The incident, which happened in Awka, the Anambra State capital, occured shortly after Governor Wike had finished addressing the party members and departed with his entourage.
Governor Wike had visited the state to seek the support of the delegates ahead of the party’s national convention scheduled for 28th and 29th of May, where they will nominate the party’s presidential candidate for the much-anticipated 2023 general election.
Addressing the party members earlier, Gov. Wike, who first paid a courtesy call to the Obi Of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, to notify him of his presidential ambition, said he remains the most electable aspirant that can defeat and unseat the rulling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He reminded them that PDP has been in opposition since 2015, and also asserted that winning the 2023 general election is crucial to the survival of the party.
He said: “I didn’t send anybody to you, because I have respect for you. We have been in opposition since 2015 and if we don’t win this election in 2023, we can as well forget PDP. And so, everything must be done to win this election. No sentiment should be brought in; and of all the aspirants, whether the person is from Anambra, Sokoto, Imo, look at all of us, who can withstand APC in this election? It is me.”
Continuing, he said: “I have challenged APC before. I have defeated them severally with the government in power. You know what happened in Rivers State. All I am asking the delegates is, if you really want PDP to win this election in 2023, just give me that ticket. Go home and sleep with your eyes close. I will win the election.”
However, despite these assurances, Wike’s departure was shortly followed by a melodramatic kerfuffle that ensued from the sharing of the hundreds of dollars he unannouncedly dropped for the party members.
Although, the dollar sharing was going smoothly earlier, as each of the over two hundred (non-office-holding) party members in the hall was being given a whopping sum of $100 each; while some office holders were haphazardly given more, ranging from $200 and above. And everybody was smiling home after receiving his.
Howebeit, a fracas broke out when a man who had come and collected a lion share as a Ward Chairman under a particular local government area was caught and labelled an impostor by some of the party caucus who claimed they knew the authentic Chairman of the said ward, whom the man allegedly impersonated. The alleged impostor, on his own insisted he was the authentic Chairman and the original bearer of the name. As he was saying these, he folded the dollar notes given to him, inserted it deep into his pocket and set out to go; while they held and dragged him back ferociously.
The interrogations, arguments and harassments that followed suit, heightened the brouhaha, as the man was ordered to return the dollars, and which he vehemently repudiated to do.
The fracas unexpectedly turned into a melodrama when the party caucus ordered a group of boys who were also waiting for their own dollars, to hold and forcefully snatch the dollars from the self-acclaimed ward chairman. The impostor, who then brought out, squeezed and tightly enfold the dollars in his palms, was immediately surrounded by the boys and some party caucus, who also grabbed his trousers, shirt, wrist watch, and two legs, in attempt to overpower him, while they began to drag the dollars with him, as he himself also refused to let go of tye dollars, and stood firm to withstand, challenge them and sustain the affray.
It took the intervention of police officers, bouncers and some other security agencies to settle the affray, retrieved dollars from the ‘Ward Chairman’, who was eventually walked out of hall and the premises, with his rumpled Ankara trousers and jumper, while his chain watch was shattered and torn beyond repair.
And, after that, the caucus continued sharing their dollars.
