PDP South-East Vice Chairman Declares No Ward, LGA or State Congress Held in Ebonyi

The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-East has continued to deepen as the National Vice Chairman of the party for the zone, Goodluck Chidiebere Egwu, has declared that no congress has been conducted at the ward, local government or state levels in Ebonyi State. In a statement released through his office and signed by his Special Assistant, Prince Ify Chijoke, Egwu dismissed as false the reports suggesting that congresses had been held to elect new executives across the state. He described the alleged exercise as a staged charade without legitimacy or approval from the national leadership of the PDP. According to him, any names being circulated as party executives should be disregarded, as they did not emerge from any lawful process recognised by the PDP constitution. He alleged that the purported congress was the handiwork of APC-sponsored elements determined to destabilise the PDP in the South-East. Egwu stressed that until the party conducts proper congresses in line with its constitution, supervised by recognised authorities and in accordance with existing court rulings, no individual or group can claim to hold executive positions at the ward, LGA or state level in Ebonyi. His statement comes amid prolonged leadership tussles in the South-East PDP, particularly following the suspension and expulsion of former zonal chairman Ali Odefa, which sparked factional battles and a series of court cases. Earlier this year, a Federal High Court in Abakaliki affirmed Egwu as the substantive National Vice Chairman of the party for the South-East, a ruling that reinforced his authority to speak on matters concerning party structures in the region. He urged party members and the general public to ignore any lists of purported executives and called on security agencies to investigate the events that produced the claims of a congress. Egwu assured stakeholders that efforts are underway to organise genuine congresses that will restore order and credibility to the party in Ebonyi and across the South-East zone.