By our reporter
The Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed concern over remarks by Gov. Francis Nwifuru regarding the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the party’s state secretariat located along the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway.
The State Working Committee (SWC) of the party, led by its Chairman, Chief Chukwuma Igwe, made the position known during a press conference on Monday, describing the governor’s remarks as an attack on democracy and opposition politics in the state.
Our Correspondent reports that Gov. Nwifuru, after the APC governorship primary election on May 21, stated that he personally applied for the allocation of the land on which the PDP secretariat was built.
He further claimed to be in possession of the Certificate of Occupancy, a development that sparked reactions from the PDP.
According to the governor, “The allocation was written in somebody’s name, and I hold the allocation papers and the C of O. I bought the land beside the PDP secretariat from Fred Udeogu. I bought the land for N3 million each, and I have the documents.
“When people wake up and say they have a party secretariat, I ask, where is the place? You don’t have any property. Mind you, compensation, which is one of the conditions for acquiring that property, has not been paid.
“If you ask the two families that owned the land I bought there, they will tell you that I paid them N500,000 each, and they signed for me.
“So, when people say the property belongs to them, how? Did you know how that property was acquired? You have to ask those of us who worked there how the property came to be,” he added.
Reacting, the PDP executive, led by Chief Igwe, described the governor’s remarks as worrisome and a threat to democracy.
According to him, the governor’s comments on the C of O of the party’s secretariat are part of broader efforts to intimidate opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The Ebonyi State Government has devoted public resources to emasculate dissenting voices, especially opposition political parties, particularly the PDP in the state,” he said.
The chairman also decried what he described as the arrest and detention of opposition members on trumped-up charges aimed at silencing critics of the government.
“The governor should know that political parties remain essential institutions in a democratic system.
“Any action targeted at weakening opposition parties constitutes a threat to Nigeria’s democratic process and the rule of law.
“We therefore call on President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector-General of Police, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and other stakeholders to intervene and caution the state government.
“We also appeal to the international community, including the European Union Mission in Nigeria and the United States Mission in Nigeria, to monitor developments in the state,” he said.
Igwe, however, noted that the PDP played a leading role in establishing democratic governance in Ebonyi from 1999 until November 2021, when key members of the administration defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Even Gov. Nwifuru himself rose politically through the PDP platform, having served as a member and twice as Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly under the party.
“We will continue to pursue all constitutional and legal means to protect the rights of the party, its members, and residents of the state against what we describe as despotism and fascist machinations,” he added.
