|
Listen to article
|
There was tension in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi state on Monday as police and a faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) clashed at the party secretariat.
This followed attempts by the Fred Udogu led the faction to take over the Secretariat.
The Secretariat has been under lock and key for a while following the factionalization of the party.
The party became factionalized following the defection of the State Governor David Umahi to the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Read Also: Umahi Declares War On Cultism In Ebonyi State
The National Executive of the PDP had in November last year, after the governor’s defection, dissolved the state Executives of the party including the State Working Committee led by Onyekachi Nwebonyi.
The party also set up a Caretaker Committee led by Fred Udogu to oversee the party in the state in the interim.
But Mr. Nwebonyi and other members of the dissolved SWC challenged their dissolution at the State High Court.
The matter had suffered several adjournments even as three Judges have recused themselves from the matter.
The Fred Udogu faction last two weeks instituted another case at an Abuja High Court on the same matter.
The faction also reportedly secured an injunction barring the Nwebonyi committee from parading themselves as the authentic leadership of the party in the state.
Armed with the alleged injunction, the Udogu faction moved to take over the secretariat Monday.
Its members in their hundreds besieged the Secretariat around 10 am but Security Agencies arrived and dispersed them.
When reporters visited the scene, it was chaotic as the security agencies with an Armoured Personnel Carrier were seen firing shots into the air which led to the PDP members running away in different directions.
It was gathered that the security agencies arrested some of the members including the Youth Leader of the Udogu faction, Obinna Iteshi.
THE EASTERN UPDATES
