Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State High Court has stopped the enforcement of the alleged suspension of the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Adolphus Wabara.
Ikengaonline had reported that Wabara was two weeks ago, purportedly suspended by a former Spokesman of the PDP in Abia, Elder Abraham Amah, who is claiming the chairmanship of the party in the state.
Amah accused the former Senate President of anti-party, citing his commendation of Gov Alex Otti for awarding contract for the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road Aba as anti-party.
Justice LTC Eruba, who presided over the court sitting at Obehie, Ukwa West Local Government Area, issued an injunction restraining Elder Amah from enforcing the said suspension.
Senator Wabara had in a suit number HUK/8/2025, sued Amah, seeking the order of the court to stop him and his group from enforcing the purported suspension.
The Court while granting Wabara’s prayers, ordered: “The defendant is restrained from enforcing the suspension of the Claimant/Applicant from the Peoples Democratic Party, or in any way, affecting his position as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP till the motion on notice is determined .”
The National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP, had in its reaction, disowned Amah, and declared the purported suspension as “null and void.”
It said that the purported suspension was a violation of the party’s constitution, was of no effect.
The leadership of the PDP in Wabara’s Ohambele Ward, had also disowned Amah and barred him from stepping into the Ward.
In the same vein, a group known as PDP Frontiers for Change and Progress, had also said that Amah lacked the constitutional powers to suspend a BoT Chairman of the party.
The PDP pro-group, has also knocked a former Commissioner for Information, Abia State, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, over his recent media attacks on Wabara.
Kalu had on a live radio programme in Umuahia, claimed that Senator Wabara had a secret meeting in London with Gov. Alex Otti, to perfect plans to bring the Governor to the PDP ahead of 2027.
He further claimed that Wabara’s intension in wooing Otti, was to chase ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu (who Kalu served under), from the ‘Big Umbrella.’
But the National Coordinator of the PDP pro-group, Mr Emeka Yellow Ikpegbu, challenged Kalu to provide evidence of his claims.
He accused Kalu and his co-travellers of resorting to blackmail to frustrate the genuine efforts of “Senator Wabara and other progressives” to rebuild the party which he said, “was destroyed by APC moles and agents in the PDP.”
Ikpegbu argued that even if efforts were made to woo Gov. Otti to the PDP, such efforts were not strange in politics, and should not in any way pose a threat to any genuine lover of the party.
He regretted that “some individuals acting as moles for the APC” were making “futile attempts to hijack the leadership of the PDP in Abia State,” but vowed never to give them “any breathing space.”
“We will not allow people who claim to be in PDP but their spirit is with the APC to destroy our great party. They go to Abuja and lobby for appointments in an APC-led Federal Government but come to Abia to destroy the PDP so they can use it as bargaining instrument in 2027.
“It’s better they formerly defect to the APC and leave the PDP alone so we can rebuild our party. Abia is a PDP state and nobody will stop the genuine efforts of progressives to rebuild the party and open it up for good persons to join us.
“What’s wrong if Gov. Otti who everybody can see is performing, decides to join the PDP? APC is wooing him, APGA is wooing him. What is wrong if PDP also woos him? A performing Governor is always a beautiful bride, and his joining the PDP will brighten our fortunes in 2027.”
Ikpegbu further recalled that in 2010, former Governor Theodore Orji left the Progressives Peoples Alliance, PPA, for the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, before finally joining the PDP, arguing that assuming Gov. Otti makes up his mind to join the PDP, “it won’t be the first time a sitting Governor will be joining the PDP.”
However, Otti’s Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, had in quick response to Kalu, said that his Principal had no intensions dumping the Labour Party, the platform upon which he came to power.
Ekeoma also denied any secret meeting between Otti and Wabara in London, adding that even if the Governor decides to join the PDP, he will not be joining the faction led by Kalu and his likes.
According to Ekeoma, Otti has no reason to search for another platform to win election in 2027, as the Labour Party which brought him to power is still intact for him.
