Mr Silas Onu, former caretaker Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi chapter has been sworn-in as the party’s new chairman in Ebonyi.Onu took over from Chief Tochukwu Okorie who was elected in a state Congress held in October following his sack by an Abuja Federal High Court presided by Justice A. Abubakar on Wednesday.
Onu, in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday in Abakaliki said that the judgement had reinforced his belief in the judiciary as a beacon for democracy and last hope of the oppressed.
He said that his leadership would reposition the party as strong opposition party in order to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.Onu said there was no victor and no vanquished stressing that PDP remained one big united family.“There is no conquered and there is no winner in this contest; we in PDP we are one and I have extended a warm hand of fellowship to Chief Tochukwu Okorie.‘I have taken an oath of office and oath of allegiance as required by the PDP’s Constitution and I am already seated in my office as chairman.
I have extended an ‘olive branch’ to our former chairman and I am ready to work with him and other critical stakeholders to build a formidable opposition that will take over power in 2023.“My brother Okorie has a right to appeal the judgement but he should not be deceived that he can do that presiding as the chairman of the party in Ebonyi,” Onu said.Meanwhile, Mr Chika Nwoba, state Publicity Secretary of PDP reacting to the judgement in an interview with SUMMITNEWS said that the sacked chairman had a right to appeal the judgement.
He also noted that the state chapter was already studying the court judgement saying that once the judgement was appealled that Okorie would remain as chairman until Appeal Court gave judgement.Nwoba, however, added that the judgement only affected the state chairman noting that the court did not void election of other elected members of the State Executive Committee (SEC).“The judgement only affected the position of chairman and not the entire executive committee.“The fedetal high court has exercised its powers and it’s incumbent on the affected person to appeal the decision.Our correspondent reports that Okorie had commenced the process of appeal.
