The Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced the appointment of Chief Chidi Dike, as the Acting Imo Chairman.
This comes after Chief Charles Ugwu was sacked by the Federal High Court sitting at Awka.
Chief Mike Ahumibe, the South East Zonal Organising Secretary of the party, presented Dike to party stakeholders at a reception on Tuesday in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Ahumibe stated that Dike’s appointment was constitutional and validated by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
He revealed that the former chairman was suspended by the party and afterwards, removed by the court because of his failure to perform his functions in office.
“He was never in our campaigns,” Ahumibe stated. “And never showed any role for our party to win the last governorship election in Imo. We are one united family, there is no crack in PDP in Imo. All that was done was change of mantle of leadership.”
Dike, himself, a former the zonal vice chairman of the party in Okigwe Senatorial Zone, promised to revive the party and bring it back to winning ways.
The acting state chairman further pledged to reconcile aggrieved members, restore equity, accountability and fairness in the party.
“For the period I am going to stay, I want members of PDP in Imo to reunite,” he pleaded.
A Federal High Court in Awka, had on March 22, relieved Ugwu of his position as state chairman of the party, in a case brought against him by Chief Joseph Ugwuebo, alleging various breaches of the party’s constitution.
The court, which was presided over by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, agreed that Ugwu was appropriately sanctioned with penalty of suspension and had subsequently lost his right to remain in office as Imo PDP chairman.
The court gave the order restraining Ugwu from parading himself as the state chairman of the party.
Recall that former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, RT Hon Emeka Ihedioha, a close ally of the sacked chairman Ugwu, tendered his resignation from the party siting some crucial reasons.