Ogbonna cited strained relationships between him and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as well as the State chairman of the party, Sir Johnson Onuigbo as part of the reason that informed his decision to quit the party.
Ogbonna, who stated this in a letter signed by him, alleged that he had been excluded from all activities of the party ranging from the 2016 council polls to the party primaries.
He further noted that his life has been threatened as a result of his outspokenness against what he described as impunity and imposition in the party.
“My decision is reached upon my painstaking review of the relationship between the governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and the state chairman, Sir Johnson Onuigbo which over the period have by several conducts consistently exhibited loss of confidence and trust culminating into deliberate usurpation of my duties with impunity. This brazen act of impunity has led to the total neglect of the SWC and state exco of the party.
“The party is now being run as one man show and every important decision including financial matters and ratification of the results of the primaries was done in a hotel without the approval of the SWC. I, as the Organizing secretary have been excluded from all activities of the party. Every message to the national headquarters that needed to emanate from my office was done by the state chairman,” the letter read in part.
Ogbonna also alleged that the Abia PDP secretariat is deserted as exco members and workers of the party have been abandoned to suffer while being owed for 6 months.
The Nation gathered that Ogbonna was among the nineteen Executive members of the party who had on November 27, 2018 in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting to access the state of affairs in the party in the state, resolved among other things to pass a vote of no confidence on the State chairman of the party. This is even as they had setup a seven-man disciplinary committee to investigate alleged illegalities and maladministration of Ounigbo.
It was learnt that the impeachment of the State Chairman was however jettisoned by the members of the party’s State Executive through the intervention of Governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and other stakeholders of the party within 48hrs the members of the executive had directed that State Vice Chairman, Hon. P. C Onyegbu to act as the substantive chairman of the party in the state.
A source in the party who would not want its name in print expressed worries over development of events in the party in recent times and called on the Governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and other stakeholders to come to a roundtable to address some of the issues that may tear the party apart which the source said could affect the chances of the party winning the February 23rd and March 9th elections in the state.
Attempts to reach the Abia State chairman, PDP, Sir Johnson Onuigbo failed as their mobile lines were unreachable.
But a source close to the Onuigbo disclosed that the chairman and the state publicity secretary of the party in the state, Chief Don Ubani were in Abuja for a crucial meeting of the party’s stakeholders holding Tuesday.
