The controversy escalated at the weekend when a faction of the party convened a state congress at the PDP secretariat along the Enugu–Abakaliki Expressway in Abakaliki, where delegates elected a new State Working Committee expected to pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years.
The exercise reportedly witnessed a significant turnout of delegates and party stakeholders who described the process as orderly and reflective of the democratic ethos of the party.
Officials from the party’s national secretariat were said to have monitored the proceedings, while representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies were present to observe the exercise.
Accreditation of delegates commenced at about 11:30 a.m., after which voting was conducted to elect members of the new executive committee.
At the conclusion of the exercise, Chukwuma Igwe emerged as State Chairman of the faction.
Addressing delegates shortly after his emergence, Igwe pledged to reposition the party and consolidate its grassroots structures in preparation for the 2027 electoral contest.
He acknowledged the internal disagreements that have plagued the party in recent months but assured members that reconciliation would form a central pillar of his leadership.
According to him, the PDP remains deeply rooted in the political landscape of Ebonyi State despite its current opposition status.
“One of our immediate priorities is to reconcile all aggrieved stakeholders and rebuild confidence within the party,” he said.
“We are already in opposition and cannot afford a prolonged internal conflict. Our collective focus must be on strengthening the party’s structures and reclaiming political relevance in the state.”
Igwe expressed optimism that members who defected during the height of the crisis would eventually return once internal stability is restored.
He maintained that although the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) currently controls the machinery of government in the state, the PDP still commands considerable grassroots support.
“PDP was once the governing party in Ebonyi State and its structures remain intact across the wards and local governments. Once we put our house in order, the people will witness a reinvigorated PDP,” he added.
However, the exercise has been vehemently rejected by another faction within the party, which dismissed the congress as illegal and unconstitutional.
In a strongly worded statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Nwafor Richard Nwali, the faction insisted that no legitimate congress was conducted in the state on the said date.
The group maintained that the party had already conducted its duly recognised state congress on November 2, 2024, which produced a leadership structure acknowledged by the PDP’s national leadership under the chairmanship of Onyema Peter Nwele.
According to the statement, individuals who allegedly no longer belong to the party forcefully gained access to the state secretariat and organised what it described as an unauthorised gathering in a bid to create the impression of a parallel leadership.
The faction further alleged that the incident formed part of a broader attempt to destabilise opposition parties in the country, directly accusing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of actions capable of exacerbating divisions within the PDP.
The statement called on security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the gathering and bring those responsible to book.
Despite the escalating dispute, the faction urged party members across the state to remain calm and continue participating in the PDP’s ongoing e-membership validation exercise aimed at strengthening the party’s organisational base.
Political observers noted that the latest development underscores the deepening factionalisation within the Ebonyi PDP, a crisis widely believed to have been aggravated by defections and shifting alliances since the party lost control of the state government.
Analysts warned that unless urgent reconciliation efforts are undertaken by the national leadership of the party, the protracted internal wrangling could weaken the PDP’s capacity to mount a formidable challenge in the state during the next electoral cycle.
