Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the South East, led by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Tuesday played host to the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Dignitaries at the event included the Governor of Delta State and vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu; the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum; the National Secretary of the party, Senator Sam Anyanwu; the Acting Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), Senator Adolphus Wabara; former presidents of the Senate, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Senator Bukola Saraki; members of the BOT of the party, Senator Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo, Senator Ben Obi and Mrs Justina Eze; the National Vice Chairman (Southeast zone), Chief Dr Ali Odefa; the PDP governorship candidates in Enugu, Abia, and Ebonyi states, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Prof. Uche Ikonne and Mr. Ifeanyi Odii respectively, the party’s deputy governorship candidates.
The meeting was in furtherance of Atiku’s consultations, preparatory to the commencement of campaigns for the 2023 presidential election.
However, a fight broke out during the meeting.
According to sources at the venue, it was the Ebonyi state PDP that caused the brawl.
What happened was that the front row seats were reserved for governorship candidates in the 3 states of the South East – Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi states.
Their names were placed on the chairs but Senator Obinna Ogba who is a factional candidate of PDP Ebonyi state saw the one written Chief Ifeanyi Odii, tore off the tag and sat on the chair.
Chief Ifeanyi Odii is the governorship candidate of PDP recognized by the Supreme court judgment that was delivered last week.
Angered by the attitude of Senator Ogba some youths from Ebonyi state who accompanied Chief Ifeanyi Odii went straight to Senator Ogba and asked him to leave the seat and sit elsewhere.
He refused and they wanted to pull him out. One Exodus from Ivo who is a youth leader of PDP in Ebonyi who came to stop them from pushing Senator Ogba was manhandled and driven out of the hall.
The young man was thoroughly beaten up, and should be somewhere receiving treatment now, the source said.