Dissolution of Ebonyi State executive laughable – PDP state chair

The chairperson of the Ebonyi State People’s Democratic Party (PDP), recently dissolved by the national working committee (NWC) of the party, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, has described the dissolution as laughable.

He stated this in Abakaliki on Wednesday in a statement.

According to him, the dissolution is unconstitutional and illegal. The embattled chairperson also said the party’s state executive will be heading to court to challenge the decision.

He said: “It is laughable to think that the NWC would just get up and dissolve a state executive committee because the governor or a few individuals want to leave the party.”

Mr Nwebonyi said the state executives made frantic efforts to stop the governor from defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to him, they issued a statement where they called on the national leadership to zone the presidential ticket for 2023 to the South East.

He said rather than paying attention to the issues raised, the NWC focused on the governor’s contemplated defection to the APC.

“It is evident that some overlords in the party are clandestinely scheming to the table in contravention of the party’s tradition of zoning to serve their personal interests.”

Mr Nwebonyi said the real concern of genuine party leaders should be the interest of the members of the component units of the party, while the focus is on power.

“In a situation where the concern has been relinquished to inordinate quest for power, things would go awry.

“It is no easy situation where the party will be losing a prominent stakeholder like a sitting governor. Governor Umahi, without doubt, has performed above board”, me said.

He said the state executives of the party have been reaching out to the party faithful to remain undaunted and steadfast.

“Certainly, we cannot leave a house we have built and become tenants elsewhere.”

“It therefore goes against the party’s constitution for the National Working Committee to dissolve an elected state executive because the governor defects from the party.

“We were duly elected in line with the party’s constitution, and any action on the state executives must conform with the provisions of the PDP constitution,” Mr Nwebonyi said.

Meanwhile, Governor David Umahi has dissolved the state elders council.

The dissolution was announced in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Uchenna Orji.

The statement read: “In a bid to inject more altitude to the leadership of Ebonyi State Elders’ Council, the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Nweze Umahi has directed the dissolution of the leadership of the State Elders’ Council with effect from 18th November 2020.”

“Consequently, the Governor has approved the appointment of Engr. Ben Okah to immediately take over the Chairmanship of the Elders’ Council in acting capacity,” Mr Orji added.

The elders council is made up of top leaders of the PDP in the state.

Many of the members of the council are believed to have refused to join the governor in defecting to the APC.

The council is headed by a former Minister Culture and Tourism, Frank Ogbuewu, whose wife, Rebecca, allegedly resigned her appointment a few days ago over the issues.

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Meanwhile, acting national chairperson of the APC and governor of Yobe State, Mala Buni, is expected to lead the leadership of the party to the state today ahead of Mr Umahi’s official entrance into the party tomorrow.

Governors elected on the platform of APC and other top political players and party leaders are expected to fly into Enugu tomorrow before traveling to Abakaliki to welcome the incoming Umahi.

It was gathered that an elaborate set of activities, including strategy meetings, have been lined up as part of the bid to ensure that Umahi’s defection provided the much needed plank for APC to expand its political stronghold in the South East region.