A former National Vice Chairman (NVC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ali Odefa was on Tuesday April 29, 2025 prevented from attending the emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of the party held at the Wadata House National Secretariat of the party over his subsisting expulsion from the party.
Ali Odefa who was a former NVC of the Southeast Zone of the party had tried to attend the meeting presided over by the Acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Umar Illiya Damagun when he was confronted by his former colleagues who reminded him that he Ceased to be member of the NWC after he was expelled by the party from his ward in Ebonyi State.
Recall that Mr. Odefa’s expulsion from the party by his Oguduokwor Ward was also affirmed by the Federal High Court sitting Abakaliki on February 26, 2025.
The emergency NWC meeting which was convened to address rising internal instability within the party and other sundry matters including the defection of former Vice Presidential candidate of the party, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa alongside the governor of Delta State and his cabinet, took a dramatic turn as Odefa was not officially invited to the meetting arrived with some thugs in a bid to disrupt proceedings. Security operatives and party loyalist, however, promptly blocked his entry.
Insider sources revealed that PDP Organising Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature, allegedly attempted to pave the way for Mr. Odefa’s entrance but was stopped and warned against aiding illegality.
The NWC reaffirmed that Odefa’s expulsion remains valid and that any action he undertakes under the PDP banner is null and void, and anyone working with him as a member of the PDP should have himself to be blamed. Hon. Chidiebere Egwu has since replaced Odefa as the legitimate replacement by South East and Ebonyi PDP structures, and a court judgement too had affirmed that.
The NWC cautioned all party officials, especially those with vested interests, to uphold the party’s constitution and the laws of the land. It also called on PDP governors and power brokers to allow the Committee the space to restore order and reposition the party for future success.