5th July, 2022
By Christian Ogbonna
The State Working Committee (SWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi has suspended its Chairman, Mr Tochukwu Okorie, over alleged gross misconduct.
Mr Emmanuel Nworie, the party’s Deputy State Chairman told journalists after the committee’s emergency meeting on Monday in Abakaliki.
The suspension is expected to last a period of one month.
Nworie said that the chairman was suspended over his failure to organise executive meetings for a period of four months since he was reinstated as chairman by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
He added that the suspended chairman had abandoned other party activities since his reinstatement.
According to Nworie, the suspended chairman allegedly joined an aspirant to file a suit against the party in the state, saying it is unlawful and unacceptable by the SWC members.
“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,’’ Nworie added.
Reacting to the development, Mr Okorie described his alleged 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 to carry out party activities, “he said.