17/04/2023
*HAS SAMDADDY APOLOGIZED TO THE STATE YOUTH LEADER, SWC?*
*_By Chinonso Egbosimba, Ideato South_*
First, let me state that I do not have the endorsement of the Imo PDP State Youth Leader, Comrd. GOC Nwadike before penning down this article. In his usual untroubled approach to life, I knew he would prefer to let things go just like that. This has been where I differ from him as a fellow in the aluta fraternity.
And so, seeing images of the State Youth Leader today at the Sen. Samuel Anyanwu's Church Thanksgiving in Ikeduru, what quickly came to my mind is that the National Secretary may have settled with the State Youth Leader because I am a living witness to all the pains and inconveniences the National Secretary created for the State Youth Leader while pursuing his governorship ambition.
Sometime around July or August 2022, the State Youth Leader, PDP Imo State, COMRD. GOC NWADIKE with the 27 LGA and 3 Zonal Youth Leaders of the PDP in Imo state met with the National Secretary of the PDP, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu who is also known as "Samdaddy".
The meeting was to formally welcome and congratulate one of their own and leaders who serves as the national Secretary of the party.
While the meeting commenced and proceeded, the National Secretary in part of his speech asked the LGA Youth Leaders how much they were being given monthly by the State Working Committee (SWC) through the State Youth Leader. They all chorused in unison "NOTHING OOO"
The National Secretary said "You see! They have not been giving you your dues. As the National Secretary, I can tell you that a certain amount is being regularly sent to the State Youth Leader's office for LGA youth leaders on a monthly bases, but perhaps, the people you have in the SWC are not releasing them to him, and you are not getting your dues"
"Okay, don't worry. From today, I will be giving you something every month to help you wet your tongues. After this meeting, just drop me your account details", the National Secretary directed them.
The State Youth Leader who was completely shocked and lost at the same time requested from the National Secretary if truly provisions were being made for his office from ABUJA, but the National Secretary smartly dodged further comments on that issue.
Immediately after the meeting that day, the LGA Youth Leaders matched to the State Secretariat of the party and sought to forcefully meet with the State Chairman, Engr. Charles Ugwu to demand for their money; an action that could not succeed because they were not earlier scheduled to meet with the chairman.
Since that meeting with the National secretary, the youth wing of the Imo PDP had known no peace as social media wars, physical wars, accusations and counter accusations became the order of the once peaceful wing.
The State Youth Leader, *COMRD. GOC NWADIKE* became a subject of insults, accusations, abuses and derogatory statements, mainly from some of his Orlu Kinsmen and youth leaders loyal to Samdaddy and his allies from Orlu zone.
There was no single day that went by, that the group did not raise fights against the State Youth Leader. The Youth Wing became highly divided and polarized, and only a few of them from Owerri and Okigwe zones believed the State Youth Leader when he told them that he did not receive any money from the National for them.
At a stage, the youth leaders were sponsored to write a petition seeking to remove the State Youth Leader from office. The petition was submitted to the National Working Committee in Abuja by the National Secretary, and the Youth Leader, among other members of the party with the SWC were summoned to Abuja for answers. Samdaddy sponsored his field Youth Leaders by air and best hotel accommodation to attend the Abuja summons.
Although, the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Iyochia Ayu tried his best to kill that petition, Samdaddy publicly presented the Youth Leader of Nwangele LGA before the NWC to pose as the State Youth Leader when GOC was invited to talk by the National Chairman.
It took a dangerous uppercut jab from the State Youth Leader which saw the irritant Nwangele Youth Leader down, for the gathering to realize that an impostor was sponsored by Samdaddy as the State Youth Leader.
I remember I once had the opportunity of checking on the State Youth Leader in his office to attempt making peace between him and his LGA youth leaders. He told me, upon my query, that he had to move out from the area he was previously residing, because some of the Youth Leaders were threatening him via all mannar of phone calls and text messages demanding for their share of monies they claimed the National Secretary told them were collected and never given to them.
The State Youth Leader, COMRD GOC was highly pained about the situation, but was also confused as to who to believe between the National Secretary and his SWC which was also being accused by LGA party chairmen of squandering millions of Naira from Abuja.
Information available suggested that it was the same National Secretary who lied to the LGA chairmen that close to N300m was sent to the SWC from ABUJA; claims both the SWC and the State Youth Leader had continued to deny as untrue.
Fast forward to the recent withdrawal of the RT. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha from the Governorship race which presented the National Secretary as the sole aspirant to the guber candidacy of the party, the National Secretary commenced a reunification/face mending consultations within the party. He first met with the SWC whom he had worked very hard the past three years to dissolve. They met close doors recently, but information from the meeting showed that Samdaddy appealed to them to forgive and work with him.
He also assured them that his struggle to dissolve them had ended. He confessed to them that all the battles he led against them were *"survival strategies"* to pick the ticket of the party.
He exonerated them from all previous accusations against them, and pledged to work with them towards the primary election that would make him the guber candidate of the party.
Sources said it was at that same meeting that the State Youth Leader demanded from the National Secretary to equally meet with his LGA youth colleagues inorder to unite them.
My source also said "the National Secretary agreed and promised him that he would address the youths immediately he (State Youth Leader) summons them.
Fast forward again to Tuesday, 11th of April 2023; a day before the Governorship primary election of the party in IMO, another meeting of the 30 Youth Leaders of LGAs and Zones was held at the home of the National Secretary who was the sole aspirant for the Governorship race in the Imo PDP.
The meeting was scheduled for 10.00am, but the morning rain that took place that day dragged the commencement to almost noon.
The meeting eventually went smoothly, but what were the shocking takeaways from that meeting?
The National Secretary informed the youth leaders present that "Greg Nwadike, your state youth chairman; sorry, your state youth leader is my friend. I have known him since 2016 when he led his Support Group to my office as a senator to broker peace within the party.
"That was in the days of Makarafi and Sheriff struggle which divided the party here. I told him then that I was not the problem. I told him to go and meet the people who had issues, and I think he took my advise.
"My only problem with him was that he refused to support me in this race. He was supporting my opponent. So, I lit a virus into his kingdom (laughs).
"Yes, I deliberately created confusion so that I can break his kingdom using some of his youth leaders. But that was a survival strategy. You know, I was already on the ground, so I was using all mannar of strategies to survive. That was what happened" Samdaddy explained.
He then directed the LGA Youth Leaders to blame him (Samdaddy), for the problems he planted in their midst, and never to blame GOC because GOC was innocent of all accusations leveled against him.
He also begged them to unite and work with the State Youth Leader whom he said was a "good guy", even as he assured them of adequate funding of their activities.
Some LGA Youth Leaders who championed the opposition battles against the State Youth Leader had already tendered their apologies to the State Youth Leader even as they expressed shocks, surprises and disappointments that their National Secretary and Governorship hopeful whom they had looked up to, could go this low lying against the State Youth Leader and led the youth wing into unnecessary crises and battles.
"What if GOC was shot to death that period, and you are telling us now that he is innocent?. How do you expect us not to believe an information from the National Secretary who is an admin head of the party?", one of the angry LGA Youth leaders queried
It's now expected that the now Imo PDP guber candidate who deceived the youths with his National Lies would also come out to inform the LGA Chairmen and Elders Council whom he also told all mannar of lies against the SWC that all he told them against the SWC were equally untrue and "Survival Strategies".
Since true reconciliation begins with truth and confessions, Samdaddy is expected to make public apologies to the State Youth Leader, COMRD. GOC NWADIKE and members of the SWC led by CHIEF CHARLES UGWU for the many lies and blackmails he told about them using his national position.
Anything short of this would be an immorality for a public liar to be supported for Imo governor, for certainly, afflictions shall not rise a second time in our time.
