The lingering crisis within the Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a dramatic turn as a faction of the party announced the suspension of its 2023 governorship candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, alongside other prominent members over alleged anti-party activities.
In a statement released on Wednesday and signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Nwafor Richard Nwali, the faction said the suspension would last one month pending the outcome of investigations by its disciplinary committee.
According to the statement, those suspended include Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, Rt. Hon. Onwe Solomon Onwe, Barr. Mudi Erhenede, Mr. Chidiebere Egwu, and Mr. Moses Idika.
“The Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State has suspended erring members of the party in the state,” the statement read.
“Their suspension is for a period of one month, and they have been referred to the disciplinary committee inaugurated yesterday at the State Secretariat, Abakaliki.”
However, the announcement sparked immediate backlash from some of those affected, who dismissed the suspension as a “charade” carried out by individuals who, according to them, have no legal standing in the party.
Reacting sharply, former PDP Legal Adviser, Barr. Mudi Erhenede, described the action as “madness,” questioning the legitimacy of those claiming to represent the PDP leadership in Ebonyi State.
“Anybody can fly any statement—are they not mad? Is there any executive of PDP in Ebonyi State?” Erhenede asked.
“The congress they claimed brought them was nullified. Even in the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered last week, it was confirmed that there is no executive in Ebonyi.”
He accused the faction of acting in contempt of court and vowed to take legal action.
“They don’t even exist in law, talk more of carrying out any act, because the judgment of the Federal High Court is very clear—it nullified the entire so-called congresses they did. So, in the eyes of the law, they don’t occupy any office. That person that is talking of being publicity secretary—of which body?”
Erhenede further warned that legal steps would be taken against those behind the statement.
“I have instructed my office, and we are going to serve them for 48 and for 49 and send them to prison because what they have done amounts to contempt of court,” he declared.
“They couldn’t even spell my name correctly to tell you that they are complete mad people. They couldn’t spell my surname, and I saw it and I said, is it me?”
Meanwhile, in a separate statement issued by Moses Idika, Director of Media and Publicity of the Anyi Ga Emeya Movement (PDP, Ebonyi State), the faction loyal to Odii urged the public to disregard what it described as a “purported suspension” by “faceless individuals.”
Idika stated:
“The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State, has been drawn to a statement purportedly signed by a faceless individual parading as ‘Publicity Secretary’ of PDP Ebonyi, which stated that preeminent leaders of the party in the state, including the leader of the party and the 2023 governorship candidate, High Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, the deputy governorship candidate, Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, Rt. Hon. Solomon Onwe, the Southeast National Vice Chairman, Hon. Goodluck Chidiebere Egwu; immediate past PDP Ebonyi State Legal Adviser, Chief Mudi Erhenede, and others, have been suspended from the party.”
“For the avoidance of doubt,” he continued, “the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State, currently has no State Working Committee (SWC) and therefore cannot take any decision on behalf of the party.”
He reminded the public that the congress which produced the said faction was nullified by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki via a judgment on Suit No: FHC/AI/CS/183/2024, delivered on November 11, 2024, and reaffirmed by another judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on October 31, 2025, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, which also upheld the expulsion of former Southeast Zonal Chairman, Chief Ali Odefa.
“We therefore call on the general public to ignore the purported suspension of leaders of the PDP Ebonyi State, as the faceless individual has no locus standi nor any form of standing in the PDP,” the statement added.
According to Idika, the authentic leadership of the Ebonyi PDP is currently working in consultation with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to fix a date for a fresh congress in compliance with the Federal High Court ruling.
The deepening crisis underscores the PDP’s internal turmoil in Ebonyi State, as rival factions continue to battle for legitimacy, each claiming to be the rightful custodian of the party’s structure ahead of the next political cycle.
