diff --git a/vllm/distributed/eplb/eplb_state.py b/vllm/distributed/eplb/eplb_state.py
index c415d409f7fe..979f2a06cec9 100644
--- a/vllm/distributed/eplb/eplb_state.py
+++ b/vllm/distributed/eplb/eplb_state.py
@@ -259,7 +259,6 @@ class EplbState:
 
         if global_expert_load is not None:
             ep_group = get_ep_group().device_group
-            assert ep_group is not None
             assert global_expert_load.shape == (model.num_moe_layers,
                                                 model.num_logical_experts)
             assert global_expert_load.dtype == torch.int64
@@ -366,7 +365,6 @@ class EplbState:
 
             # Collect load metrics from all ranks
             ep_group = get_ep_group().device_group
-            assert ep_group is not None
             all_reduce(total_expert_load_pass, group=ep_group)
 
             # num_tokens_per_rank: (num_moe_layers, num_ranks)
@@ -422,7 +420,6 @@ class EplbState:
         """
 
         ep_group = get_ep_group().device_group
-        assert ep_group is not None
         ep_rank = ep_group.rank()
 
         time_start = None
diff --git a/vllm/distributed/parallel_state.py b/vllm/distributed/parallel_state.py
index 0b3993ca0275..b89aee99c8d4 100644
--- a/vllm/distributed/parallel_state.py
+++ b/vllm/distributed/parallel_state.py
@@ -197,11 +197,10 @@ class GroupCoordinator:
     #   3     |   1  |  3   |     1      |       3
     local_rank: int  # local rank used to assign devices
     rank_in_group: int  # rank inside the group
-    cpu_group: Optional[ProcessGroup]  # group for CPU communication
-    device_group: Optional[ProcessGroup]  # group for device communication
-    use_device_communicator: bool  # whether to use device communicator
-    device_communicator: Optional[
-        DeviceCommunicatorBase]  # device communicator
+    cpu_group: ProcessGroup  # group for CPU communication
+    device_group: ProcessGroup  # group for device communication
+    # device communicator (if use_device_communicator=True)
+    device_communicator: Optional[DeviceCommunicatorBase]
     mq_broadcaster: Optional[Any]  # shared memory broadcaster
 
     def __init__(
@@ -209,7 +208,7 @@ class GroupCoordinator:
         group_ranks: list[list[int]],
         local_rank: int,
         torch_distributed_backend: Union[str, Backend],
-        use_device_communicator: bool,
+        use_device_communicator: bool,  # whether to use device communicator
         use_message_queue_broadcaster: bool = False,
         group_name: Optional[str] = None,
     ):
@@ -219,8 +218,9 @@ class GroupCoordinator:
 
         self.rank = torch.distributed.get_rank()
         self.local_rank = local_rank
-        self.device_group = None
-        self.cpu_group = None
+
+        self_device_group = None
+        self_cpu_group = None
 
         for ranks in group_ranks:
             device_group = torch.distributed.new_group(
@@ -232,11 +232,14 @@ class GroupCoordinator:
                 self.ranks = ranks
                 self.world_size = len(ranks)
                 self.rank_in_group = ranks.index(self.rank)
-                self.device_group = device_group
-                self.cpu_group = cpu_group
+                self_device_group = device_group
+                self_cpu_group = cpu_group
 
-        assert self.cpu_group is not None
-        assert self.device_group is not None
+        assert self_cpu_group is not None
+        assert self_device_group is not None
+
+        self.cpu_group = self_cpu_group
+        self.device_group = self_device_group
 
         from vllm.platforms import current_platform
 
@@ -251,7 +254,6 @@ class GroupCoordinator:
             self.device = torch.device("cpu")
 
         self.use_device_communicator = use_device_communicator
-
         self.device_communicator = None
         if use_device_communicator and self.world_size > 1:
             device_comm_cls = resolve_obj_by_qualname(
@@ -817,12 +819,12 @@ class GroupCoordinator:
         return self.device_communicator.recv(size, dtype, src)
 
     def destroy(self):
-        if self.device_group is not None:
+        if hasattr(self, "device_group"):
             torch.distributed.destroy_process_group(self.device_group)
-            self.device_group = None
-        if self.cpu_group is not None:
+            del self.device_group
+        if hasattr(self, "cpu_group"):
             torch.distributed.destroy_process_group(self.cpu_group)
-            self.cpu_group = None
+            del self.cpu_group
         if self.device_communicator is not None:
             self.device_communicator.destroy()
         if self.mq_broadcaster is not None: