Ebonyi State Police Command and other security agents yesterday dispersed members of the two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the state over alleged forceful invasion of the party’s secretariat following a purported court order obtained by the Hon Fred Udogu led caretaker committee.
Policemen and other personnel of other sister agencies numbering over 50 stormed the party secretariat along the ever busy Enugu-Abakaliki road to maintain law and order as the two groups continued to fight over who takes over the party secretariat.
It would be recalled that the National Working Committee of the PDP had dissolved the Barr. Onyekachi Nwebonyi’s faction after Governor Dave Umahi defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC and constituted Hon Fred Udogu led caretaker committee.
The dissolution of the NWC is being challenged by Barr. Nwebonyi in an Abakaliki High Court. The Udogu led group had last week obtained an injunction from an Abuja High Court restraining Barr. Nwebonyi and his executive from parading themselves as executives of the party.
It was gathered that for the quick intervention of security personnel in the state, the state PDP Secretariat would have been vandalised.
At the party secretariat, it was observed that security agents were still battling to disperse the youths who had invaded the party office. It took the combined effort of the police and the army to disperse the youths while the security agents had tocordon off the Secretariat as both groups had alleged plots to burn down the party secretariat.
When contacted, the Ebonyi state commissioner of police, CP Shehu Garba informed journalist that they were still battling to ensure that the party secretariat was not vandalised adding that effort is being made to avert any breakdown of law and order at the party Secretariat.
As at the time of filing this report, the commissioner of police was yet to pick his calls for an update on the invasion of the party secretariat.
In an interview, Hon Udogu led committee of the PDP insisted that thugs suspected to be loyal to the Barr Nwebonyi group plan to set the state party secretariat ablaze.
According to Elder Udeogu, “We are not deterred by whatever threats, they are making, threats that they will burn down the secretariat of PDP, it is not reasonable. We know those who are planning it and we know their names. We know the people that slept behind the party secretariat last night.
“Last night, Onyekachi Nwebonyi led a motley crowd and made a concerted effort to burn down the state secretariat of the PDP in Abakaliki. If not for the prompt response of some of our members, the building would have been razed down by this morning. They were resisted and repelled effectively.
When contacted also, Barr Onyekachi Nwaebonyi denied the allegation of conniving with thugs to set the secretariat ablaze, and claimed that, he is still in charge of PDP in the state.
ccording to him, “I want to answer this question by asking you a question. Who is that person that will burn down his own house? I am the authentic chairman of PDP in Ebonyi state. If there are people
planning to burn down the secretariat, it will be those so desperate to take over the state secretariat from the backdoor.
“And I am in my office and as I’m talking to you, I’m addressing you from my office. How can I set my own office ablaze? Is it thinkable that a man can set his own house ablaze? He should be the one, I’m
suspecting to be nursing such an idea. He cannot achieve that because I’m properly seated in my office. They security agencies are there to protect the office”, he said.
Meanwhile, the commissioner of information and state orientation, Uchenna Orji said the governor, David Umahi has no time to respond to such allegations. From Leadership.