Former Abia Deputy Governor Ude Oko Chukwu Faces Backlash Over Publication of Appointments List
Former Abia Deputy Governor Ude Oko Chukwu faces backlash after publishing a list of over 350 appointments he claimed credit for. The PDP has threatened legal action, accusing him of undermining due process and publishing members’ names without consent.
Former Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ude Oko Chukwu, has come under fire following his decision to publicly release the names of individuals he claimed to have helped secure permanent, pensionable, and political appointments during his time in office.
Oko Chukwu, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Labour Party (LP), said he published the list to counter accusations by some political rivals that he left no tangible achievements as a legislator and Deputy Governor.
The list, which contains about 350 names, also highlighted empowerment programs he sponsored, infrastructure projects such as roads, water and school facilities he attracted, and vehicles distributed to traditional rulers through his efforts.
But the move has drawn sharp criticism from the PDP, his former party, which has threatened legal action. In a statement signed on Tuesday by its State Chairman, Abraham Amah, the PDP accused Oko Chukwu of undermining institutional integrity by suggesting that government appointments were his personal gifts to supporters.
The party also condemned the inclusion of the names of some PDP members without their consent, calling it an invasion of privacy and a breach of trust. “Jobs in the civil service, judiciary, tertiary institutions, and the state agencies are not gifts from politicians but the lawful rights of qualified citizens,” Amah stressed.
The PDP further demanded that Oko Chukwu withdraw the publication immediately and tender an apology to those affected. The statement warned that “if necessary, the party will take appropriate legal and disciplinary measures to defend its members.”
The controversy has sparked heated debate across Abia State, with some residents questioning the culture of political patronage and others accusing the former Deputy Governor of seeking to rewrite his political legacy after leaving the PDP.
As the tension escalates, political observers say the unfolding drama could strain relationships further between Oko Chukwu and his former allies in the PDP, while testing his credibility in his new political base under the Labour Party.
