Enemy within: Ebonyi PDP battling internal adversaries for survival

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State has been struggling for survival after metamorphosing from the ruling party to the main opposition over five years ago. This has been made more precarious with its battles with enemies within its ranks and file sabotaging its efforts at self-renewal, writes EDWARD NNACHI

Before 2019, when the then Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, elected twice as governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, Ebonyi State had prided itself as one of the strongholds of the PDP across the country.

That was before the 2019 general elections. But all that changed and the PDP in Ebonyi State, just like in other states in the South-East geo-political zone, currently struggles for survival, especially against perceived enemies within the opposition party in the state.

Our correspondent learnt that members of the PDP in the state have been enmeshed in anti-party activities, betrayals, backlashes, sabotage and all manner of leadership meddlesomeness.

For 20 years, starting from 1999, following the advent of the current democratic dispensation, which brought on board the administration of the first civilian governor of the state, Dr Sam Egwu, to the era of his successor, Martin Elechi, and up to the administration of the immediate past governor, Umahi, and up till  November 2020, the electorate in the state had voted massively for the PDP, culminating in the trio’s occupation of the White House, the Ebonyi State Government House.  Members of both the national and state assemblies were also consistently elected on the platform of the same party in the state.

And following the 20 years of uninterrupted transition, the PDP had become a household name in Ebonyi State, waxing stronger by the day.

However, in November 2020, the bubble burst, and Umahi, who was elected and re-elected as governor of the state on the platform of the PDP, announced his exit from the party. Other political office holders in his administration also left the party. This exit generated controversy in the PDP.

Despite Umahi’s exit, Ebonyi PDP fared well, until lately when, according to close watchers of event, it was “calculatedly” plunged into various leadership tussles since it conducted its congress in 2021.

The post-congress fracas had lingered into its primaries for the 2023 general elections, with parallel candidates in almost all the positions ahead of the 2023 polls.

However, the current problems bedeviling the party, The PUNCH learnt, are as a result of the members described as “PDP during the day, APC at night.”

Political watchers within and outside the party insisted that the inconsistencies of these members, described as “enemies within”, hamper the state PDP’s countless battles for survival.

A chieftain of the party, Chief Moses Idika, while prescribing the panacea to the intractable crisis in the party in Ebonyi, said for the party to survive, it must purge itself of unscrupulous elements working against its survival in the state.

He therefore called on the party leadership at the centre to do the needful.

He said, “The PDP should purge itself of these moles and others who parade themselves as members and leaders just to make deal with the APC.”

Another stalwart of the party, the immediate past Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Ebonyi State, Chika Nwoba, accused the recently suspended National Vice-Chairman of the party in the South-East zone, Chief Ali Odefa, of working against the survival of the party in the state.

Odefa was suspended from the party by his Ward Executive Committee, led by acting Ward Chairman, Herbert Ovuta, who announced his suspension at a press conference in Onicha Local Government Area of the state.

The Ward Executive Committee accused Odefa of engagement in “anti-party activities.”

Flanked by other members of the executive committee, Ovuta stated, “We are here to inform you of the resolution of the Oguduokwor Ward Executive Committee to suspend Chief Ali Odefa, the National Vice Chairman of the PDP South-East zone, for activities that are destructive to our party’s name.

“His suspension is in compliance with Section 57 (3) of the PDP Constitution. Additionally, we have referred Chief Ali Odefa to the Ward Disciplinary Committee for further action.”

Also, Nwoba stated that Odefa had an alliance with the ruling All Progressives Congress, adding that his suspension was justified.

“Odefa is working with, and for the APC in Ebonyi State. He’s not hiding it, and that’s why he was suspended indefinitely by the PDP in his ward. The party has done the needful to save itself from being sold out to the APC. Now that Odefa has been shown the way out of the house, he has no power again to cause us implosion,” Nwoba stated.

“His suspension is a good action to forge a new front for the party. He’s though still parading himself as a member of the party, but he’s just deceiving his few supporters with whom he shares the proceeds of dishonesty. That is it. For us in the PDP, Odefa is gone and our party will be good for it. He can’t do us anything.

“We have just noticed one of the moles and have taken the most appropriate action against the person. Ali Odefa was a known mole in PDP and we’ve expunged him so he could join the APC in full, which he hungered for. So, it’s a gradual process. Whenever we have a substantial proof of dishonesty in a member, we’ll find a way to caution them and rid the party of elements that could cause it implosion. We are ever ready to reposition the party in Ebonyi State and you know what that means. It’s a difficult job, but we’ll do it perfectly.”

When contacted by The PUNCH over the allegation of anti-party activities against him, Odefa, in a WhatsApp message, replied, “Clap for them please.”

On his suspension, he was reportedly quoted to have said those behind the “cowardly act” were unknown to the party.

The party also reportedly dismissed the suspension of Odefa from his ward.

In a statement issued by the media director of the party in the zone, Richard Nwafor, the PDP noted that the acclaimed ward executives were hired by the opposition party to cause disaffection and destabilise the party.

Nwafor said, “Our attention has been drawn to a media statement attributed to some faceless individuals, allegedly ward executives of our party in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

“These individuals, having failed in their attempts to hijack the structure of our party for selfish political interests, resort to causing confusion and dis-affection in the party.

“Notwithstanding, we urge members of our great party and the general public to disregard the purported suspension High Chief Dr. Ali Odefa from the party as no such thing happened. We categorically state that High Chief Dr. Ali Odefa remains undeterred and focused in the discharge of his functions.”

Nwafor noted that no amount of distraction would derail the Southeast National Vice Chairman from his unwavering efforts to reposition the party in the state and zone.

“After a Federal High Court in Abakaliki dissolved the constituted Caretaker Committee (CTC) members in the state some months ago, the Zonal Working Committee of our party in the southeast took leadership to oversee the activities of the People’s Democratic Party in Ebonyi State. No distractions will derail the National Vice Chairman’s (Odefa) unwavering efforts to reposition the party in the state and southeast.”

However, in a fresh twist to the entire saga, the Gusau Division of the Federal High Court, in Zamfara State, has been asked to stop Odefa from parading himself as a national officer of the party.

The plaintiff in the suit, a member of the PDP, Imam Auwal, prayed the court for an order compelling the party, which is the first defendant, to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Peoples Democratic Party Constitution in the running of its affairs and to steer clear of arbitrary actions that could amount to the disregard for its own constitution.

Auwal also prayed the court for “an order directing all organs of the first defendant to cease and desist from treating the former National Vice Chairman (South-East zone) Mr. Ali Odefa as an officer of the first defendant.”

He also prayed the court for “an order compelling Mr. Ali Odefa to stop parading himself as an officer or member of the first defendant, following his lawful suspension by his Ward Executive.”

Another party stalwart, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, fingered a former governor of the state and senator, as one of the “enemies” within the party.

The source told The PUNCH, “The former governor is working with APC underground in order to regain the Senate ticket in 2027.”

Commenting on the development in Ebonyi PDP, a former chairman of the party in the state, Silas Onu, said those rumoured to have left the party and working against it, were doing so “because of hunger in the land.”

He added that they would reconnect with parties of their choice at the appropriate time.

He said, “As noted already, Ebonyi State is the poorest amongst its peers in the South-East and that has its own political impact. Politics is, today, one of the fastest ways of making ends meet for many. So, what you hear from those who jump from one party to another is that they do not want to die of hunger.

“So, a large number of members of the Ebonyi political class are in it for the money and survival, not for service to humanity, state and nation. So, do not act surprised when people begin to jump from their political platforms over to the government’s political party, they need to survive before the next election.

“By 2026 or early 2027, almost all of them will begin to scramble for platforms where they can contest election as the APC platform will not accommodate all of them. The owners of APC in Ebonyi State already know those that will be given tickets to contest election. So, just watch and see.

“What is happening now is that people have activated their survival mode.”