PDP Suspends Oyinlola, Baraje, Jaja, Kazaure

Claiming that  it has not received the court judgment re-instating Oyinlola, the leadership of the party said, yesterday, that Oyinlola would face the Disciplinary Committee chaired by Second Republic Minister of Transport, Dr. Umaru Dikko.

Also suspended with Oyinlola were chairman of the aggrieved camp of the party and former acting national chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; the group’s Deputy Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja  and National Vice-Chairman, North-West, Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure.

Addressing journalists in Abuja at the end of an emergency meeting of the National Working Committee, PDP National  Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, who noted that the party withheld decision on the matter for a long time because elders and the leadership of the party had been appealing to the aggrieved members to reconsider their steps.

Citing Section 58(1) of the Party’s constitution 2012(as amended) as reason for the action, Metuh said: “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Party shall have power to discipline any member who says or does anything likely to bring the party into disrespect, hatred or contempt; engages in disorderly conduct at meetings or rallies or at any party functions; engages in any conduct likely to cause disaffection among members of the party or is likely to disrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient conduct of the business of the party; engages in unauthorised publicity of disputes within the Party or creates a parallel party organ at any level”.

It’s an attempt to circumvent court ruling– Oyinlola

But in a swift reaction, Prince Oyinlola who described the action of the leadership of the party as an attempt to circumvent the ruling of the court of appeal, 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 is 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.”

According to Metuh: “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, where some people will claim your name, your birth date, your job, your complete identity; that has failed, the court has pronounced on it.

“We have countlessly appealed to our brothers that this is not a production of drama, or a production of Nollywood movies. This is a serious matter, it is a party administration. The NWC in line with its constitutional right and the provisions of the constitution and after preliminary hearings as stated in our Constitution suspends forthwith from the PDP the following: Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Sam Sam Jaja, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ibrahim Kazaure.

“The suspension of these four members of the National Executive Committee because of their past position in the party, past and present, wherein they are members of the national executive and according to our Constitution is only the national executive committee that can make pronouncement on it for breach of section 58 1b, g, h and I.

“The provision of our constitution stated that anyone who talks or says anything, likely to bring the party, the PDP into disrepute, hatred or contempt has committed a disciplinary offence.

“Anyone who engages in disorderly conduct at meetings, or rallies at any party functions including walkout at conventions, taking a walkout, engaging in disorderly conduct is guilty of an offence against that constitution.

“58 1h, anyone who engages in any conduct likely to cause disaffection among members of the party or is likely to disrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient conduct of the business of the party has committed an offence.

“Section 58 1 (i) anyone who engages in un-authorised publicity of dispute within the party or create a parallel party organ at any level is guilty of an offence against the Constitution of our party.”

On  August 31, 2013, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, six aggrieved governors stormed out of Eagle Square venue of the Special National convention and later, joined by Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers, addressed a press conference at the Yar’Adua Centre where the Baraje-led group was formed with Dr  Jaja as deputy chairman and Prince Oyinlola as national secretary.

The  seven governors in the group are Governors Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano;  Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto and Abdulfattah Ahmed of Kwara.

On why the seven aggrieved governors were not suspended alongside the four leaders, Metuh explained that the leadership of the party took the decision because they formed a parallel executive in the party and Kazuare, a national officer, engaged in anti- party activities.

NWC, stakeholders divided

Earlier in the day, there were series of reconciliatory meetings and talks among stakeholders geared towards bringing peace. Members of the NWC  held a meeting at the WadataPlaza without the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and at the end of the meeting, Metuh and the National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha drove out to meet Tukur at his Wuse 2 Residence.

Also yesterday,  the Nigeria Police blocked all roads leading to the PDP National secretariat to ensure that there was no breakdown of law an order with arrangements for Oyinlola to take over as national secretary of PDP.

In some of the closed-door meetings held on Monday in several locations in Abuja, newsmen gathered that  party leaders and stakeholders were sharply divided on whether or not to allow Oyinlola to resume office.

At the  meeting in Aso Rock Presidential Villa earlier yesterday morning, it was gathered that those who wanted the party to allow Oyinlola resume as secretary were of the opinion that it would facilitate the peace moves in the already troubled party.

Proponents of this argument were said to have tried to persuade President Goodluck Jonathan and other key party leaders present at the meeting that accepting Oyinlola would assuage the feelings of some of the aggrieved governors.

At the party national secretariat in Abuja, it was also gathered that issues relating to conflict of personal and political interests were rapidly playing out too.

Reacting to the development, the National Publicity Secretary of Abubakar Kawu Baraj- led new PDP, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, who described the action as an abuse of the judiciary and the constitution of the country and that of the PDP, said, “ you see the problem we are having with Tukur and his NWC is that they lack not only democratic character, but lack common understanding of the PDP Constitution.”

“To us this is an abuse of  the Judiciary, Nigeria Constitution on fair hearing and most importantly the PDP Constitution of 2009 as amended Article 21 section 9 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! Article 21;10 No disciplinary Committee at any level except NEC shall impose any punishment provided under Article 21.7 of the Constitution arising from any disciplinary on any person named in subsection 21.9 of this Constitution.”