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From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Police in Ebonyi have taken over the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in the state.
Daily Sun, yesterday, gathered that the police action was sequel to the court case over the leadership of the party in the state.
The leadership tussle was an aftermath of the defection of Governor David Umahi from the party, which is the main opposition party in the country, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor perfected his defection on November 18 at a ceremony attended by the Caretaker Chairman of the APC, Governor Mala Bunni of Yobe State.
Following the defection of the governor, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) announced the dissolution of the state executive committees of the party.
It also dissolved the South East interim executive of the party, headed by the governor’s younger brother, Austin Umahi.
The NWC also set up an interim committee, headed by Fred Udogu, a former commissioner in the state.
The NWC’s decisions were also ratified by the National Executive Committee of the party. But the dissolved State Working Committee, led by its Chairman, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, sued the National Chairman, Uche Secondus, the PDP and the newly inaugurated executive.
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At the weekend, Nwebonyi announced a meeting at the secretariat, which did not go down well with the other faction of the party.
With the matter still in court and suffering series of adjournments, the police moved in to secure the secretariat, which was built by Umahi while he was state chairman of the party.
Two police vans were seen stationed in front of the secretariat, located on the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway, while used tires were used to narrow the road from both sides.
Commissioner of Police said the decision was to forestall break down of law and order.
He said no one will be allowed into the premises pending when the court ruled in the authentic leadership of the party in the state.
In another development, PDP has raised the alarm over alleged intimidation of its members in Ebonyi State since the defection of Governor Umahi to APC.
PDP Publicity Secretary, Silas Onu, raised the alarm, during at a press briefing in Abuja, at the weekend.
Onu said the Ebonyi PDP does not harbour any ill-feeling towards the governor over his decision to leave the party. He, however, said the feeling is not mutual as opposition members are allegedly been intimidated in the state.
The PDP spokesman, while calling on the Federal Government and the international community to pay attention to political developments in Ebonyi, said the opposition party will petition various embassies to intimate them of developments in the state.
