By Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended its youth leader, Mark Onu.
Onu was alleged to have caused public disorder and attempted to disrupt the 2016 Democracy Day celebration in the state.
The state Working Committee of the PDP announced the decision after its emergency meeting on Monday at the party’s secretariat along Abakaliki/Enugu Expressway.
Briefing newsmen after the emergency meeting which lasted for over three hours, the Publicity Secretary of the party, Okulegu Bethran, said that the party invoked section 57 sub-section 1 and 3 of its constitution in taking the decision.
Onu, who is also the leader of Akubaraoha Consultative Assembly, had on Sunday at the Abakaliki Township stadium led youths that clashed with another rival group under the aegis of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), led by Elder Sam Igwe, during the democracy day celebration.
Angered by the incident, Governor David Umahi, publicly ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of Onu just as he also directed the SWC of the party to immediately meet and remove the embattled youth leader from office.
“Because I am the leader of PDP in Ebonyi State, the PDP working committee must meet and remove Mark Onu as the PDP youth leader”,t he governor said.
The party said: “Based on our constitution, section 57 sub-section 1 and 3, we have suspended the state PDP youth leader because of the democracy day incident. His action is shameful and we the state Working Committee did not support that act; it is barbaric and we join our Governor a lover of peace to condemn this shameful attitude displayed by Mark Onu at the Abakaliki Township stadium during the democracy day.”
The Party Publicity Secretary said SWC had set up a seven-man committee to look into his offence and report back within one month according to law of the party.
“For now, Mark Onu who is the youth leader for the PDP in the state has been suspended. We have set up a seven-man committee to look into his offence and outcome of the committee will be submitted to the state working committee. From there we will take further action on the matter but we will work strictly on committee’s recommendation.”
