- Suspension, attempt to circumvent court ruling –Ex-gov
The ongoing attempt to reconcile the feuding members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, suffered a setback with the suspension of four prominent members of the party, yesterday. They are the Chairman of the splinter new PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and the National Vice-Chairman (North West), Alhaji Ibrahim Kazaure.
Oyinlola's suspension came on the day he was expected to be reinstated as the national secretary of the party in line with the ruling of the Appeal Court in Abuja and the directive of the President. The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, at a press conference in Abuja said that the suspension was long overdue but that the party leadership had tarried because it did not want to been seen as being hasty in taking disciplinary action against its members.
The party said their suspension was sequel to their contravention of Section 58 sub-section (1) (b), (g), (h) and (i) of the PDP constitution. But Oyinlola said that the suspension was an attempt to circumvent the ruling of the Court of Appeal.
On why the G7 governors were exempted from the party's punitive action, Metuh said: "The party has decided to suspend these individuals because of their activities, and remember, four of them claim to be chairman and secretary of another parallel organ, another one claims to be deputy chairman and they have engaged in acts that are inimical to the provisions of our constitution. "We have witnessed an attempt at political identity theft, where some unknown people, our brothers who are aggrieved, will collude with some known individuals to attempt an identity theft.
"The National Working Committee, NWC, in line with the provision of the constitution, has after the preliminary hearings as stated in our constitution, suspended forthwith from the PDP, the following: Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure.
"The suspension of these four members of the National Executive Committee, because of their past positions in the party and present, is for the breach of Sections 58 (1), b, g, h and I." Citing the relevant sections of the party's constitution, Metuh said anyone who did or said anything likely to bring the party into disrepute, hatred and contempt had committed a disciplinary offence.
But Oyinlola, who was reinstated by an Appeal Court judgement last week said: "This is part of the impunity we are protesting against. None of us has been queried or requested to give explanations for any alleged offence.
"And if they are reacting to the issue of the new PDP, why did they decide to leave out the serving state governors, senators and members of the House of Representatives, who have been very vocal? It's all an attempt to circumvent the ruling of the Court of Appeal. "Certainly, the last has not been heard about this matter and I am sure that truth will prevail over falsehood.''
Also, the spokesperson of the New PDP, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, said that the suspension order was an abuse of the judiciary and the Nigerian constitution on fair hearing.
The new PDP said: "We have learnt with sadness the continued effort by Tukur and his NWC to rubbish the democratic credentials of PDP by embarking ceaselessly on exercises of impunity by announcing the suspension of Alh. Abubakar Kawu Baraje who was once the National Chairman of PDP; Dr. Sam. Jaja, one time National Vice Chairman of PDP, Barrister Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the current National Secretary of PDP and Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure who was once a member of the PDP NEC in flagrant abuse of the PDP Constitution Article 57 subsections 7 and 8 which states that 'Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution relating to discipline, no Executive Committee at any level except NEC shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the NEC, public officer holder i.e. Ministers, Ambassadors, Special advisers or any member of the Legislative Houses.
No disciplinary Committee at any level except National Disciplinary Committee shall impose any punishment provided under Article 57 of the Constitution arising from any disciplinary action on any person named in Article 57 of this Constitution.
"With this sections of our constitution and considering that Prince Oyinlola by his position as the incumbent National Secretary of PDP as stated by the Appeal Court and considering the privileged positions both Kawu Baraje, Sam Jaja and Ambassador Kazaure have occupied in the party, it becomes imperative and a sacrosanct fact that only the NEC of the party and not any funny NWC can suspend such calibre of members of the party as mentioned above therein.
"Sadly for the ignoramus handling the affairs of PDP at the moment which undemocratic acts are legendary, the continued plot to expose our party as lacking in principle should be condemned by all and sundry. "This illegal act exposes Tukur and his NWC as lacking not only democratic character but lack common understanding of the PDP constitution.
To us, this is an abuse of the judiciary which recently reinstated Oyinlola as the National Secretary of the party, abuse of the Nigerian Constitution on fair hearing and most importantly exposing the intolerant attitude of Tukur and his sponsors.
"With this greatest joke of the century, Tukur and his funny NWC have only succeeded in exposing themselves not only as champion of undemocratic acts but the greatest enemies of PDP as all their actions are all geared at ensuring that peace eludes the party. "Nigerians can now understand why we are hell bent on ensuring that these military mentality inclined men are removed from our political psyche if we are to enrich and uplift our democratic credentials.
"Finally, this uncivilised act and action is not acceptable to us as we insist that Oyinlola must be reinstated as a matter of urgency as ordered by the Appeal Court as the National Secretary of PDP. In this regard, we urge INEC and any other government agency not to entertain any document or letter from PDP without the authorisation of Oyinlola in view of the fact that he is the incumbent National Secretary of PDP fully recognised and sanctioned by a creditable court of our country.
"We urge all good members of PDP to remain calm, steadfast and focussed as we fight the illegality which Tukur and his people represent as the task to strengthen and rebuild our party, a task that we must conclude." Meanwhile, there was palpable tension yesterday at the PDP National Secretariat as some members of the National Working Committee of the party were alleged to have met without the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, in attendance.
A source at the national secretariat said Oladipo was exempted from the meeting, as his issue would be discussed. An Appeal Court sitting in Abuja had last week sacked Oladipo as the national secretary.
Justice Joseph Tor, who ruled on the case brought by Oyinlola, had stated that the removal of the former governor of Osun State as the party scribe by a Federal High Court in January did not follow due process. Since the ruling, the leadership of PDP had not made any official statement on the court ruling, but President Jonathan had directed that the court order reinstating Oyinlola should be respected.
I just hope they can end this crisis soon and focus on more pressing issues facing the political party
All this increment of crisis in PDP is nothing to write home about because it is not needed at all. There are more important things to fight over