A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital has affirmed Mr. Chidiebere Egwu as the national vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the South-East zone.
Egwu was earlier nominated by the South-East stakeholders of the party as replacement for the expelled former occupier of the position, Chief Ali Odefa.
Delivering judgement in suit No FHC/AI/CS/229/2024, the presiding judge, Justice Hilary Oshomah affirmed that the decision of the court was based on the provisions of Article 45, 47(6), 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution (as amended, 2017).
Defendants in the suit included the party’s National Organising Secretary, Hon Umar M. Bature; Chief Odefa, the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The court also held that there was a subsisting judgement of the Federal High Court in Suit No: FHC/AI/CS/182/2024 which affirmed the suspension of Odefa from the PDP and his subsequent expulsion from the party by the Executive Committee of the PDP Oguduokwor Ward.
The Court noted that the office of the national vice chairman South-East was vacant before the nomination of the plaintiff to replace the Odefa to complete the unexpired tenure of the 1st defendant as the national vice chairman of the PDP South-East Zone.
The court also ordered the PDP and INEC to recognize Egwu to carry out his duties as the substantive national vice chairman of the party in the zone.
