Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu West Senatorial Zone have openly rejected the emergence of Hon. Dennis Amadi as the party’s senatorial candidate for the 2027 election, declaring that no valid primary election produced him, while describing the suspension of senatorial aspirant Dr. Nick Ozonsi as unconstitutional and politically motivated.
The resolutions were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting held on Sunday, July 5, 2026, at 9th Mile, Enugu, where party leaders, former and serving political office holders, elders, women and youth leaders, executive committee members and other stakeholders from the five local government areas of Enugu West reviewed developments within the party and deliberated on issues bordering on internal democracy, equity, inclusiveness and electoral preparedness.
The stakeholders maintained that no PDP senatorial primary election was conducted in Enugu West from which Hon. Dennis Amadi could legitimately emerge as the party’s candidate.
“The meeting thoroughly reviewed the circumstances surrounding the emergence of Hon. Dennis Amadi as the PDP Senatorial Candidate for Enugu West Senatorial Zone and asserts that no PDP Senatorial Primary Election was conducted in Enugu West Senatorial Zone from which any candidate could legitimately emerge.”
They further insisted that Amadi “did not emerge through any PDP Senatorial Primary Election conducted, recognized or participated in by the established party structure in Enugu West Senatorial Zone.”
Consequently, the stakeholders rejected what they described as his purported nomination and called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to immediately review the entire senatorial nomination process and nullify his listing as the PDP candidate.
“The meeting called on the National Working Committee to immediately review the entire senatorial nomination process for Enugu West Senatorial Zone and nullify the purported listing of Hon. Dennis Amadi as the PDP Senatorial Candidate for Enugu West Senatorial Zone, having found that the purported nomination was not founded on any primary election conducted in Enugu West Senatorial Zone in accordance with the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party and its Electoral Guidelines.”
The meeting also strongly condemned the suspension of Dr. Nick Ozonsi, describing the action as a violation of the PDP Constitution and an attempt to frustrate the collective will of party members in Enugu West.
According to the communiqué, Ozonsi, a founding member and respected stakeholder of the party, was suspended shortly before the scheduled senatorial nomination process.
The stakeholders maintained that the action lacked constitutional backing.
“The suspension was effected without compliance with the due process prescribed by the PDP Constitution and without the knowledge or approval of the Ward, Local Government and Enugu West Zonal leadership of the party.”
They argued that the suspension was deliberately orchestrated to frustrate the aspirations of party members in the zone.
Beyond the senatorial dispute, the stakeholders renewed their demand for the return of the office of the PDP State Chairman to Enugu West Senatorial Zone, insisting that the position belongs to the zone under the party’s long-established zoning and rotational arrangement.
They expressed concern that the continued retention of the office by Enugu North Senatorial Zone undermines the PDP’s principles of fairness and equity.
“The meeting reaffirmed that, in accordance with the long-established zoning and rotational arrangement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, the office of the State Chairman is due to Enugu West Senatorial Zone.”
The stakeholders consequently urged the National Working Committee to restore the office to Enugu West “without further delay.”
While expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct of several party primaries in the zone, the stakeholders reaffirmed their support for Hon. Arinze Onyianta as the PDP candidate for Udi/Ezeagu Federal Constituency, Hon. Ebube Nebo for Ezeagu State Constituency and Dr. Chidi Orjiudeche for Awgu South State Constituency, describing their emergence as transparent, credible and democratic.
They also urged the party leadership to protect Onyianta’s mandate, insisting that his primary election was duly monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while cautioning against attempts by unauthorised persons to lay claim to the PDP ticket for the constituency.
The meeting further lamented that Enugu West remains the only senatorial zone in Enugu State without representation on the PDP Board of Trustees and appealed to the party’s national leadership to immediately correct what it described as an imbalance.
The stakeholders equally expressed concern over what they described as the exclusion of key party leaders and longstanding members of the PDP in Enugu West from the political and campaign activities of the party’s governorship candidate, Chief Uche Nnaji, urging him to adopt a more inclusive approach capable of uniting the party ahead of the 2027 election.
A vote of confidence was unanimously passed on the Enugu West PDP Zonal Chairman, Rt. Hon. Charles Martins Emenike, while the meeting also reaffirmed Ozo Dr. Okey Ozoani as the recognised Political Leader of Enugu West Senatorial Zone.
The stakeholders concluded by reaffirming their loyalty to the PDP and expressing confidence that the National Working Committee would urgently address the issues raised in the communiqué to restore confidence in the party’s internal democratic processes.
The communiqué was jointly signed by Rt. Hon. Charles Martins Emenike, Zonal Chairman, Enugu West PDP; Mbah Ugochukwu, Zonal Secretary; Ozo Dr. Okey Ozoani, State Auditor and Political Leader of Enugu West Senatorial Zone; and Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Onyia, State Treasurer.
