A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State on Thursday, affirmed Goodluck Chidiebere Egwu as the substantive National Vice Chairman, NVC of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Southeast zone following his nomination by the Southeast stakeholders of the party as a replacement for the expelled former Southeast NVC, Ali Odefa.
Delivering judgement in suit No: FHC/AI/CS/229/2024 filed by Egwu (plaintiff) Vs Umar M. Bature, the National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Ali Odefa, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the defendants, Justice Hilary Oshomah held that by the combined provisions of Article 45, 47(6), 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, as amended in 2017, as well as the subsisting judgement of the Federal High Court in Suit No: FHC/Ai/CS/182/2024 which affirmed the suspension of the 1st Defendant (Chief Ali Odefa) from the PDP and subsequent expulsion from the party by the Executive Committee of the PDP Oguduokwor Ward, the office of the National Vice Chairman Southeast was vacant before the nomination of the Plaintiff to replace the 1st Defendant and complete the unexpired tenure of the 1st Defendant as the National Vice Chairman of the PDP Southeast Zone.
The Court also ordered the 2nd Defendant, PDP, and 3rd Defendant, INEC, to recognise Egwu to carry out his duties as the substantive National Vice Chairman of the PDP, Southeast zone.
With the ruling of the court, Chidiebere Egwu remains the National Vice Chairman of the PDP in the Southeast until a fresh zonal congress is held to elect a new zonal executive committee of the party.
