Ebonyi PDP crisis: Court dismisses suit against ex-chairman, 3 others

From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki

An Ebonyi State High Court sitting in Obiozara, Ohaozara Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, has dismissed a forgery and impersonation suit against former Caretaker Committee Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Augustine Nwazunku, and ward executive committee members of the party in Oguduokwor Ward, Onicha Local Government Area of the state.

The suit was filed by the embattled National Vice Chairman of the party, South East zone, Chief Ali Odefa.
Police had, in October 2024, arrested the party executives in the Oguduokwor ward—Sunday Ogbonnaya Idika, Njoku Nwagu, Obinna Chukwu—and the former state Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Chief Augustine Nwazunku, following a petition by Odefa, who the party leaders suspended for alleged anti-party activities.

The party leaders were subsequently arraigned before a magistrate court for forgery, impersonation, and being members of a secret cult group.

They were remanded by the court for lack of jurisdiction and were granted bail in December last year by a high court.

When their trial commenced, neither the police nor Odefa was able to present any evidence to back up the allegations against the party officials.

Lead counsel to the PDP executives, Chief Mudi Erhenede, requested for the case to be struck out, saying there was no evidence to back up the accusations levelled against them.

In his ruling, the trial judge, Justice Gladson Ugbala, struck out the suit and discharged all the four defendants.