The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Chief Silas Onu has clarified that he remains the Chairman of the party despite reports of an appeal court ruling sacking him from the position.

It will be recalled that Okorie was declared winner of the state's chairmanship position in 2021 but was sacked by an Abuja High court in April in a suit Onu filed challenging Okorie's election.

The court ruled that Okorie was not qualified to stand for the election and Onu who contested with him be sworn in immediately as chairman, an order carried out immediately.

Okorie and the PDP immediately appealed the ruling but the latter subsequently recognized Onu as chairman.

Onu in his reaction made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, clarified that the court of appeal decision which ordered a stay of execution of his swearing in as party's chairman, cannot stand because the said action had already taken place and ratified by the party.

"The PDP has withdrawn from the joint appeal it filled with the other applicant in the matter Tochukwu Okorie, effectively rendering the matter dead.

"The appeal court has not ruled on the substantive matter filed by Okorie and the PDP as the court only ruled on a motion for stay of execution of the lower court's ruling.

'There was no judgement by the court of appeal so I wonder how the court of appeal sacked me.

"It was an interlocutory application of stay of execution it heard and granted them their prayer for stay of execution.

"You will then ask yourself what is being stayed, is it the completed act that is being stayed?

"The court of appeal said I have not been given certificate of return, it is not in PDP's constitution to be giving certificate of return or does Okorie have a certificate of return," he said.

He noted that before the ruling was given, the PDP which is the first applicant to the case, had briefed Okorie's lawyer, who incidentally was PDP's lawyer, to withdraw their application for stay of execution.

"This they said was because they were no longer interested in it because they have fully implemented the judgment.

"So as I speak to you now, PDP has withdrawn from the appeal, and if they have withdrawn from the appeal, a court order that is precedent upon such appeal cannot stand".

"If PDP has withdrawn from the appeal, the court must strike out the entire appeal for Tochukwu to go and rewrite his appeal and file again, making PDP a respondent in the new process.

"The supreme court position on withdrawal of case is that the moment you file it, the case dies that day, the day of hearing is the day of burial.

Na wa o.

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