SWC Suspends Ebonyi PDP Chairman

The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Tochukwu Okorie has been suspended.

Naija News understands that he was suspended by the State Working Committee (SWC) over alleged gross misconduct.

The politician was reportedly punished for abandoning the party’s activities and also refusing to organise executive meetings for a period of four months since he was reinstated as a chairman by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

The state party deputy chairman, Emmanuel Nworie, while speaking with newsmen in Abakaliki on Monday shortly after the committee’s emergency meeting said the suspension of the chairman was for a period of one month.

Nworie also alleged that Okorie was discovered to have joined an aspirant to file a suit against the party in the state.

He described the act as unlawful and unacceptable by the SWC members.

He said: “At the emergency SWC meeting, we reviewed the activities of our chairman, Tochukwu Okorie and his misconduct.

“The chairman has failed to organise a meeting for more than four months which is against the party’s constitution.”

The deputy chairman, the legal adviser, the publicity secretary, and the women leader, were among those at the emergency meeting, Naija News understands.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on May 23, ordered the reinstatement of Mr Okorie as the Ebonyi PDP’s chairman and sacked Silas Onu who was occupying the post.

Reacting to the development, Mr Okorie described his suspension as illegal, saying: “it is only the national leadership that can suspend me.

“I am a member of the National Executive Council of the party and no member of the state working committee has the power to suspend me.

“On the alleged gross misconduct, I am the chairman as directed by the court. I have the prerogative power to access the party’s account in carrying out party activities.”