By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed publications suggesting that some of its key leaders in Ebonyi, including former Governor of the state, Sen. Sam Egwu, and 23 other were suspended from the party.

The party in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja on Sunday described the purported reports as misleading.

Ologbondiyan said that no PDP leader in Ebonyi had been suspended adding that the document purporting the suspension was fictitious and did not emanate from the Ebonyi state chapter of the party as suggested.

“For the avoidance of doubt the PDP does not have a state working committee in Ebonyi state as presented by the said fictitious document.

“As such, any such body said to have met to arrive at any decision or any action claimed to have been taken by such non-existent body is at best imaginary.”

Ologbondiyan said that the public was already aware that the body vested with the task of piloting the affairs of PDP in Ebonyi was the State Caretaker Committee.

He said that the committee had since assumed its mandate to the approval and delight of the leaders and members of PDP in Ebonyi since the dissolution of the party’s state executive in the state.

“Moreover, a check on the records of our party in Ebonyi affirms that no such meeting as purported in the said document was held to take any such decision at any time.

“However, we have been made aware that the fabricated document emanated from a former leader of our party in Ebonyi who left on a personal voyage to another party.”

He said that the defected leader sought to cause confusion in the state, having failed to pull PDP leaders and members in his expedition.

“It is indeed pitiable that such individual will descend to the level of resorting to fabrications and calendar-doctoring in desperation for political redemption.”

Ologbondiyan advised anyone behind such a publication to steer clear of PDP and face the challenges already confronting him in his new political family as well as the queries coming from the people of Ebonyi who have been betrayed by his action.

The spokesman of the party urged Nigerians to disregard the purported suspension of 24 of PDP leaders in Ebonyi, saying there was no substance in the claim.

“In the same vein, the party assures that our structure in Ebonyi state is intact and that our party has become stronger, more united and enjoying the support of the people of Ebonyi more than ever before.”

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP on Wednesday constituted a state caretaker committee.

It is to pilot the affairs of the party in Ebonyi, following the dissolution of the party’s state executive on Tuesday.

The Governor of Ebonyi, Dave Umahi, had on Tuesday defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC). (NAN)

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