The Ebonyi State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has dismissed reports of mass resignations within its leadership, insisting that the affected officials were suspended before announcing their purported exit from the party.

In a statement issued in Abakaliki, State Chairman Prince Enyinnaya Alum Udensi and Publicity Secretary Sir Vitalis Nnajieze said the resignations were merely an attempt to cover up disciplinary actions already taken against the former executives over allegations of misconduct and financial impropriety.

The party disclosed that a petition before the National Working Committee (NWC) accuses former State Secretary Barr. Adum Solomon Chinedu, former Deputy Chairman Comrade Idenyi Okechukwu, former Welfare Officer Cyril Ajah, former Youth Leader Anthony Nwofe and former Assistant Publicity Secretary Rex Nwome of gross misconduct, anti-party activities, forgery, financial impropriety and other constitutional violations.

According to the state leadership, the officials were suspended during an expanded State Executive Committee meeting pending investigations by the party’s national leadership.

“The NDC in Ebonyi State had since after the primary elections formally petitioned the aforementioned principal officers for various offences and gross misconducts,” Alum said, adding that the NWC was preparing to constitute a probe panel to investigate the allegations.

The petition alleges that some of the suspended officials authorized the distribution of party funds without approval, failed to account for portions of the funds, and later embarked on actions aimed at undermining the authority of the state executive.

It further accused the former secretary of submitting a recommendation letter on behalf of the party without authorization and alleged that some of the respondents conducted parallel primaries and forwarded alternative candidate lists to the national secretariat.

The state executive maintained that the actions of the affected officials had “exposed the party to public ridicule, weakened confidence in its leadership, and created avoidable divisions within the ranks of our members.”

The Ebonyi NDC has urged the National Working Committee to carry out a comprehensive investigation and impose appropriate sanctions where necessary. It also called on members of the public to disregard reports suggesting the officials voluntarily resigned from the party.

“We therefore urge the National Working Committee to act swiftly and decisively in defence of the Constitution, unity, and collective interests of the Nigeria Democratic Congress,” the petition stated.