Ebonyi PDP suspends chairman

The State Working Committee (SWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has suspended its Chairman, Tochukwu Okorie, over alleged gross misconduct.

The party’s Deputy State Chairman, Emmanuel Nworie, told reporters after the committee’s emergency meeting on Monday in Abakaliki that the suspension was for a period of one month.

Mr Nworie said the chairman was suspended over his failure to organise executive meetings for a period of four months since he was reinstated as chairman by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

He also told reporters that the suspended chairman abandoned other party activities since his reinstatement.

According to Mr Nworie, the suspended chairman allegedly joined an aspirant to file a suit against the party in the state, saying it is unlawful and unacceptable by the SWC members.

“At the emergency SWC meeting, we reviewed the activities of our chairman, Tochukwu Okorie and his misconduct.

“The chairman has failed to organise a meeting for more than four months which is against the party’s Constitution,’’ Mr Nworie said.

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The deputy chairman, the legal adviser, the publicity secretary, and the women leader, were among those at the emergency meeting.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on May 23, ordered the reinstatement of Mr Okorie as the Ebonyi PDP’s chairman and sacked Silas Onu who was occupying the post.

Reacting to the development, Mr Okorie described his suspension as illegal, saying: “it is only the national leadership that can suspend me.”

“I am a member of the National Executive Council of the party and no member of the state working committee has the power to suspend me.

“On the alleged gross misconduct, I am the chairman as directed by the court. I have the prerogative power to access the party’s account in carrying out party activities,’’ he said.

(NAN)