Federal High Court Affirms Expulsion of Former PDP South-East Vice Chairman
The Federal High Court, Abakaliki Division, has upheld the expulsion of Ali Odefa, the former National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the South-East zone, following a ruling delivered on Wednesday.
Odefa was suspended from the party on October 4, 2024, by the PDP executive committee at his ward in Oguduokwor, Oshiri Community, Onicha Local Government, due to alleged anti-party activities. Despite the suspension, Odefa continued to operate as the national vice chairman of the PDP South-East, prompting the ward executive to take the matter to court.
Justice Hilary Oshomah, who presided over the case, affirmed the expulsion and granted all the reliefs sought by the ward executive committee. The suit was filed by Moses Idika, Herbert Ovuta, Emmanuel Uzor, and Uzoamaka Ude, representing the ward executive, against Odefa, the PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.
In his ruling, Justice Oshomah declared that Odefa’s expulsion from the PDP was valid, emphasizing that the party should not allow him to function as the national vice chairman for the South-East zone or represent the party in any capacity. The judge further directed that Odefa should be denied access to the office of the national vice chairman in light of the expulsion.
The decision effectively bars Odefa from holding any leadership role or representing the PDP in the South-East zone moving forward.