The Abakaliki local government area chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the suspended Southeast Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Ali Odefa and those they called his acolytes to immediately release the party’s former caretaker state chairman, Dr Austin Nwazunku from the correctional centre, Abakaliki where he was remanded alongside others last week over a petition brought against them by the suspended chairman, Odefa.
Recall that the Oguduokwo ward executive committee members of PDP a week ago slammed Chief Odefa with an indefinite suspension over what they called anti party activities. The executive committee members in tandem with the constitution of the party pronounced Chief Odefa suspended from the party indefinitely. The adoption of the suspension exercise was done in Abuja from where it was transmitted to the national working committee of the party in Abuja a few days ago.
Upon receipt of the suspension action, Chief Odefa forwarded a petition against the committee members who declared him suspended to the Ebonyi State Police Command in Abakaliki, alleging forgery, libel, cultism and impersonation of the real executive committee members of the party in his Oguduokwo ward of Onicha LGA of Ebonyi State. This prompted the police declaring them wanted and arresting some of them including the party’s former caretaker chairman in the state, Dr Austin Nwazunku, an Associate Professor at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka over his role in solidifying the suspension, alleging that the don colluded with unknown persons to blackmail him and tarnish his political image. When they were arraigned at the Magistrate Court of Ojemba Isu Oko in Abakaliki, the magistrate declined their bail application citing that his court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain such kind of a matter. They were then taken to the Abakaliki correctional centre for remand pending their bail application to the court that has the jurisdiction to entertain the matter. The magistrate ordered that they be remanded till November 18th consequent upon them doing the needful.
It was on this premise that the Abakaliki chapter of the party converged on the compound of a former House of Assembly member, Hon. Franca Okpo to demand that the incarcerated members of the party including Dr Austin Nwazunku be granted freedom unconditionally. Arising from the well-attended meeting on Sunday, 13th of October, 2024 was also a deliberation on the way forward for the opposition political party in the LGA and the state by extension. A communique at the end of the meeting was released and read on behalf of the stakeholders by a chieftain of the party, Pharmacist Kenneth Nwiboko, demanding that the party’s members be released from prison. They emphasized that the now suspended Southeast Vice Chairman of the party, Ali Odefa was doing anti party which resulted in the crippling of the party in his ward and the state using his influence as the zonal chairman of the party. They claimed that he’s working for the APC in Ebonyi State and the incumbent Nigerian Minister of the Abuja Capital Territory, Barr Nyesom Wike who’s alleged to be fighting the party, claiming to be PDP member while holding an appointment in the APC -led Federal Executive Council.
