In a landmark judgment that reshapes the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southeast, the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has officially affirmed Hon. Goodluck Chidiebere Egwu as the substantive National Vice Chairman (NVC) of the PDP in the Southeast zone.
Justice Hilary Oshomah, delivering judgment in Suit No: FHC/AI/CS/229/2024, ruled in favor of Egwu, whose nomination by key Southeast PDP stakeholders followed the expulsion of former NVC Chief Ali Odefa. The court’s decision puts to rest the leadership dispute that had lingered within the party’s regional structure.
The suit, filed by Egwu against PDP National Organising Secretary Hon. Umar M. Bature, Chief Ali Odefa, the PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), sought judicial confirmation of his status as the rightful occupant of the office. Justice Oshomah, citing Articles 45, 47(6), 58, and 59 of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), alongside an earlier judgment in Suit No: FHC/Ai/CS/182/2024 which upheld Odefa’s expulsion, declared the position lawfully vacant at the time Egwu was nominated.
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The court held that Egwu’s appointment was in line with the party’s constitution and validly filled the vacuum left by Odefa’s expulsion by the Executive Committee of the PDP in Oguduokwor Ward. Accordingly, the judge directed the PDP and INEC to formally recognize and allow Egwu to function as the Southeast Zonal Chairman.
With this ruling, Hon. Goodluck Chidiebere Egwu is to remain in office until a fresh zonal congress is conducted by the party to elect a new Southeast Zonal Executive Committee.
This judgment not only reaffirms the internal disciplinary processes of the PDP but also signals a critical shift in the party’s leadership dynamics in the Southeast ahead of the next general election cycle.
