A magistrate court sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, has remanded former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Augustine Nwazunku and three other leaders of the party in the state over the suspension of the South East National Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Ali Odefa.
Odefa was suspended last week by the executive members of the party in his Ogudu Okwor Ward, Oshiri in Onicha Local Government Area of the State for alleged anti-party activities.
Days after the suspension, the party leaders, including Nwazunku were arrested and prosecuted by the police over a petition by Odefa.
Odefa, who said that he remains the National Vice Chairman of the party, alleged that the leaders committed forgery.
The trial Magistrate, Ojemba Isu-0ko refused the bail application of the Counsel to the Defendants, U. Obasi and ordered that the four suspects be remanded at Abakaliki correctional center till November 18, 2024.
In a five-count charge before the Magistrate Court, the three other suspects, including Obinna Nwachukwu, Njoku Nwagwu, Ogbonnaya Idika were accused of forging a letter purported to have emanated from PDP executives of Ogudu-Okwor ward in Oshiri, claiming that the party had suspended the Southeast National Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Ali Odefa.
Meanwhile, the party in the ward has accused Odefa of arrest, prosecution and remand of the party leaders.
Herbert Ovuta, Acting Chairman of PDP in the ward, alleged that Odefa led thugs and people decked in unverified uniforms and hounded the chieftains of the party in the ward.
In a statement he made available to journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital, earlier today, Ovuta said: “This is to alert the general public and especially members and the National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Mr. Ali Odefa, the National Vice Chairman of the PDP (South East) on Monday September 7, 2024, at about 8pm, in company of yet to be identified thugs and people decked in unverified uniforms in 5 (five) Hilux Vans invaded the compounds of some of our party members in Oshiri community and abducted them to unknown destination.
“The invaders led by Mr. Ali Odefa cordoned-off the compounds of Messrs. Obinna Chukwu (Acting Youth Leader of PDP, Ogudu Okwor Ward) and Njoku Nwagu (Secretary of PDP, Ogudu Okwor Ward), whereby they were forcefully taken away in the presence of their distraught family members.
“Also, having abducted our two-party officers in Oshiri, the team moved to Abakaliki where they abducted Mr. Sunday Ogbonnaya Idika (Acting Organising Secretary, PDP Ogudu Okwor Ward).
“We were surprised that barely 10 hours after their abduction, they were dumped at the SWAT detention facility at the Police headquarters Abakaliki. When information reached us and we rushed to the police headquarters, we were confronted with badly tortured, battered people with swollen faces.
“Within minutes we were told that police were charging them for cultism, threatening Ali Odefa, forgery and impersonation in suit CHARGE NO”605C/2024 at the Magistrate Court of Ebonyi State, Abakaliki.
“It is important to note that Mr. Ali Odefa has a special relationship with the CSP B.G . Emenike, the O. C Legal of the Ebonyi State Police Command, who has become his man-Friday in procuring police action against his political opponents.
“We, therefore, state categorically that this unlawful action of Mr. Ali Odefa in collusion with the police is part of his longstanding oppressive, overbearing and anti- party antecedent that led to his suspension in the first place.
“For the avoidance of doubt, following the defection of the former Deputy Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa alongside some members of the PDP Ogudu Okwor Ward Executives, the party stakeholders met and nominated their replacement.
“These replacements were ratified by the Onicha LGA Executive of the party and were subsequently endorsed by the state working committee.
“It is important to let the public know that the police never investigated these matters as the charges preferred against our duly appointed Ward Executives are mere trumped up charges aimed at ensuring that the PDP in Ebonyi State remains in disarray to the convenient of the ruling APC in the state which chief Odefa is known to be working for.
“We, therefore, use this medium to alert the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, that some of his officers and men in Ebonyi State Command may have been compromised against members of our party to divert the cause of justice.
“It is to be noted that the suspension of Mr. Ali Odefa is already part of a pending suit at the Federal High Court, Abakaliki with suit number FHC/AI/CS/182/2024 in the matter OVUTA ONYEDIKACHI & ORS VS CHIEF ALI ODEFA & ORS.
Ali Odefa’s resort to crude violence, intimidation, harassment is unwarranted, unlawful and undemocratic and must not be condoned.
“If Ali Odefa feels aggrieved over his lawful suspension, he should wait for the disciplinary committee’s resolution on his matter as well as wait for a court of competent jurisdiction to determine the validity or otherwise of his suspension instead of resorting to violence and self help”
When contacted, Odefa claimed, in an interview with The Sun, that the PDP chieftains were arrested and prosecuted for forgery, explaining that the ward executives of the party have no power to suspend him, if the party’s constitution is anything to go by.
