2023: Ebonyi PDP leadership crisis deepens

The leadership tussle rocking the Ebonyi State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday took another dimension over who is the authentic chairman of the party.

Consequently, the Barr. Silas Onu-led faction has called on the security agencies to arrest Mr. Tochukwu Okorie, leader of another group.

The call for his arrest came on the heels of Okorie’s purported convocation of State Executive Council meeting today, Monday, July 4, 2022.

Onu in a statement made available to journalists in Abakaliki called on the party members to ignore any meeting at the instance of Okorie as he has no authority to do so.

The statement reads in part” “My attention has been drawn to a publication via SMS, calling for SEC Meeting in Ebonyi State today.

“The author of the said notice of meeting is an imposter called Tochukwu Okorie Okoroafor.

“The general public and party faithfuls are by this present, called upon to ignore any meeting at the instance of Okoroafor Tochukwu as he has no authority to call for any meeting.

“In addition to the criminal and questionable way he became a member/imposed as State Chairman, he was legitimately sacked by the FHC and his effort to appeal that judgment is now effectively dead by virtue of Section 285(14) of the Nigerian Constitution, 4th Alteration.

“His entire appeal died on 21 June, 2022 when 60 days passed since he filed that appeal. The only thing remaining is for the Court of Appeal to give his case a befitting burial – that will happen on Thursday 7th July, 2022.

“Mr. Okorie has become aware of this development and in a desperate bid to cover up some of his criminal activities, which includes the stealing of 5% remittance paid to the State by our National Secretariat and some other available fund in party account (N55, 000, 000) by attempting to use SEC and create a distraction via controversy.

“This effort is sadly being propelled and supported by persons we once thought were leaders of our great party – they have been exposed as selfish, greedy and irresponsible persons.

“While we await the befitting burial of the dead appeal filed by Tochukwu Okorie on Thursday 7th July, 2022, Ebonyians are called upon to stare clear of participating in illegality as Tochukwu has totally lost this battle. As long as this case over State Chairmanship is concerned, it is finished totally.

“The SEC meeting is not one called by me or the State Secretary of our great party. Therefore, it is an attempt to mislead the public.

“The Police and other Security agencies are by this notice called upon to arrest Tochukwu Okorie on site as we have a valid case of stealing pending against him.”