Unknown to former members
of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the
National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, played a fast game on them when he
forced them to resign from their offices promising them a return within thirty
days.
That promise may not be fulfilled as a PDP source told
Saturday Mirror that the special convention of the party earlier fixed for July
may not hold until early next year. The source also said that Tukur and the
Presidency may have shut the door permanently against most of the former NWC
members as a payback to acts of alleged indiscipline and disrespect against the
national chairman not too long ago.
This is as some party members believe that Thursday legal
suit by some party members against the party is a gimmick put together by some
‘unseen hands’ to delay the special convention from holding so that the party
can have a lease of life.
It would be recalled that the party’s NWC was recently
engulfed in intra-party leadership squabbles that pit ten out of the twelve
members, led by the former Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, against
Alhaji Tukur, a situation that almost led to a palace coup against Tukur.
“Ever since President Jonathan waded into the matter, the
two camps have merely existed but Tukur has not forgotten hence he deemed it
fit to pay them back in their own coins,” said a PDP NEC member. He said that
“Tukur knew it was only a matter of time and he waited patiently to revenge.
Remember that he almost wept over the backstabbing and he never hid his
disappointment.
So, this opportunity presented itself and with the
understanding and support of President Jonathan, Tukur is now the one laughing
last.” Some members of the party had on Thursday instituted a suit at the
Federal High Court, Abuja seeking an order to set aside the pronouncement of
the PDP NEC, leading to the appointment of about 18 acting national officers of
the party.
The PDP NEC after its meeting last month directed about
20 members of the party National Working committee to vacate their positions,
following a report of the INEC which noted that the emergence of the affected
officers through voice votes, as against proper election, was a contravention
of the party guidelines for congresses and conventions.
But three members of the party, who had initially
instituted a suit, asking for the dissolution of the PDP NWC, Honourables Abba
Yale, Yahaya Sule and Bashir Maidugu had filed the fresh suit, seeking for an
Order of the Court to set aside and nullify all the processes, leading to the
appointment of all the acting national officers. In the suit filed on their
behalf by Jubril Samuel Okutepa, (SAN), they submitted that the action of the
PDP NEC which asked the officers indicted to relinquish their positions amounted
to self help, in view of a subsisting case on the matter.
The PDP members are also seeking for an order of
interlocutory injunction, restraining the PDP “and all its agents including its
national chairman and any other person or group of persons acting for and on
behalf of the defendant (PDP) from convening and or holding any meeting or
convention in furtherance of the decision of the NEC of the defendant made
during the pendency of this suit, pending the hearing and determination of this
case”.
The applicants are also seeking an order of interlocutory
injunction, restraining the PDP national chairman from performing any functions
or duties assigned to the PDP NWC, following the resignation and removal of all
members of the national working committee.
Further checks revealed that the application was moved
before Justice Belgore on Wednesday and the case had since been adjourned till
July 15, 2013. A PDP source said that the special convention would no longer be
possible this year because of the court case instituted against the party and
the fact that the national chairman and the new NWC might not be in a hurry to
quash the matter.
According to the source, “the chairman is delighted that
the matter is in the court and will not want to jeopardise the judicial
process. He would wait patiently until the matter is dispensed with before the
issue of the special convention can come up.
It is also a possibility that he may stand down the Prof.
Jerry Gana led convention committee if the need arises. “The PDP is taking the
issue of indiscipline seriously and you will recall that President Jonathan had
on Thursday, while receiving Rivers State PDP chapter warned that the party
would no longer condone indiscipline amongst its members.”
The President at that occassion said for Nigeria to have
stable democracy, “we have to have a strong political party. And that is why we
get worried when we notice some of the indiscipline in some of the political
parties. And the new PDP that we are all working together for no longer
tolerates this indiscipline.”
However, the Special Assistant to Tukur, Prince Oliver
Okpara, when contacted for comments on the planned use of court to delay the
special convention neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. He told our
reporter that he was not mandated to comment on issue. Rather, he said that the
Special Convention would hold at the appropriate time and that Tukur alongside
the NWC and other stakeholders would meet to work out the new date.
Meanwhile, the Olisa Metuh Campaign Organisation has said
that a plot is on by the opposition to obtain spurious court orders questioning
the eligibility of Chief Olisa Metuh to seek re-election into the office of
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the forthcoming special national
convention of the party.
In a statement by Director General Olisa Metuh Campaign
Organisation, Chief Okey Ezenwa, he said the group discovered that these people
are uncomfortable with his sterling performance as the National Publicity
Secretary as well as his unwavering loyalty and commitment to the party and its
leadership and are determined to use every means to stop his re-election.
“For the avoidance of doubt, as a Nigerian citizen, Chief
Olisa Metuh is free and eligible to seek election into the office of the National
Publicity Secretary of the PDP. Indeed there is a valid judgment of a court of
competent jurisdiction affirming the eligibility of Chief Metuh to seek
election into the said office and any other party position for that matter.”
Source:National Mirror
0 comments:
Post a Comment