The National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the South-East, Chief Chidiebere Egwu, has declared that the Ebonyi State chapter of the party currently has no valid executives from the ward to the state level.
Addressing journalists on Monday in Abakaliki, Egwu dismissed the recent state congress conducted by the faction loyal to former South-East Vice Chairman, Ali Odefa, which produced Onyekachi Nwebonyi as the state chairman. He described the congress as illegitimate and nullified.
According to Egwu, “There is no valid executive of the PDP in Ebonyi State at any level — from ward to state — because no congresses have been conducted. The tenure of the last elected executive and that of the caretaker committee have both expired. Therefore, nobody can rightly claim to be an executive member of the party in the state.”
He further stated that preparations are underway to conduct fresh congresses involving all stakeholders across the 171 wards in Ebonyi.
“We are making arrangements for a free, fair, and constitutionally guided congress. Once a date is fixed, it will be made public,” he said.
When asked who currently oversees the affairs of the PDP in Ebonyi given the leadership vacuum, Egwu explained that the responsibility falls on him as the zonal head.
“The Constitution empowers the National Vice Chairman to oversee party affairs in a state pending the conduct of congresses. Therefore, I am in charge, as stipulated in Article 27 of the PDP Constitution,” he affirmed.
Egwu criticized the purported congress that produced Onyekachi Nwebonyi, saying it was not recognized by the party’s national leadership nor supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which makes it invalid.
“The congress that produced Nwebonyi was not organized in accordance with party guidelines. It was not sanctioned by the National Working Committee or monitored by INEC, and for that reason, it was quashed by a Federal High Court. Nwebonyi cannot parade himself as the PDP chairman in Ebonyi State,” he emphasized.
He warned against attempts to create confusion within the party, saying: “If I wanted to add salt to injury, I could have ordered his arrest. But I’m more interested in restoring peace and rebuilding the party.”
Egwu reiterated his commitment to reviving the PDP in the state and restoring the confidence of members. “We are reaching out to those who have lost hope in the party. The PDP remains the bedrock of Nigeria’s democracy, having produced about 90% of the country’s political leaders.”
He also affirmed the legitimacy of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary, saying, “Even the crane of Julius Berger can’t remove him.”
He declared that Ifeanyi Odii remains the undisputed leader of the PDP in Ebonyi State.
Egwu stated that Ali Odefa, who spearheaded the controversial congress, had been expelled by his ward and that the expulsion was subsequently ratified by a Federal High Court.
