The crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi state Monday took another dimension as a faction of Obiozara ward executives of the party, announced the suspension of the state chairman of the party, Silas Onu, while another faction of the executive dismissed the suspension.
Since the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sacked Tochukwu Okorie as the party Chairman and declared Silas Onu as the new Chairman of the party has been in crisis in the state.
Onu had while challenging the election of Okorie at the Federal High Court, cited irregularities in the process that led to the congress of the party that produced Onu as chairman.
The court sacked Okorie and declared Onu who contested the chairmanship of the party with Okorie as the duly elected chairman.
However, the party fell into a fresh crisis since the congress of the party for the 2023 general election.
On Monday, a faction of the PDP executives in Onu’s Obiozara ward, Ohaozara local government area of the state announced his suspension and accused him of gross misconduct and brigandage.
A letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party, signed by Hon. Akpa Azi, chairman of a faction of the party in the ward and Hon. Timothy Nwogo, Secretary on Onu’s suspension, reads, “We, the undersigned on behalf of the entire Executives of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Obiozara Ward, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebony State have noted with total dismay the gross misconduct and brigandage of the Chairman of our great Party in Ebony State, Barr. Silas Onu on 3rd and 4th day of May 2022 respectively which marred the lawful and peaceful ad-hoc conduct of the Ward Congress across Ebonyi State for the election of 3-man Delegates for the forthcoming Primary Election of our Party in Ebonyi State”.
In a counter-statement/letter signed by another faction of PDP in the Obiozara Ward signed by its own Chairman and Secretary, Igwe Ubadinma and Samuel Idenyi Anthony dated 14th May 2022, the faction alleged that the suspension letter addressed to the national leadership of PDP was forged by those they called Abuja based desperate politicians from the state.
The counter-statement/letter which was tagged notice to all courts in Nigeria reads in part, ”the entire ward is hereby put on notice of this fact, and all authorities are called on to disregard any attempt to use such fake documents.
“The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court is hereby put on notice and all the Chief Judges of the 36 States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the FCT. The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party is also put on notice.”