The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and Members of Board of Trustee (BoT) are heading for the rock over the choice of principal officers in House of Representatives.
The PDP caucus in the green chamber with the support of the party’s NWC had endorsed Hon. Kingsley Chinda of Rivers State, but the Speaker House of Representative, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila in plenary, read another letter endorsed by 111 members of the opposition parties in the House where Hon. Ndudi Elumelu was endorsed as the minority leader of the House.
However, some members of PDP had kicked against the choice of Hon. Chinda, arguing that the party Chairman is from Rivers, it will be wrong for the part to choose its minority leader from the same state. They further alleged that the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike was trying to take every available position for the South to Rivers state at the expense of other states.
Meanwhile, PDP had in a statement on Tuesday raised alarm over attempts by the speaker to impose a minority leader on the party.
It stated “It is instructive to state that the PDP had duly written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after consultation with other minority members in the House of Representatives, notifying him of members that have been selected for leadership position in the House of Representatives, in line with dictates of the rules and parliamentary practice.
“However, to our utter dismay, the PDP had discovered that the Speaker attempted to smuggle in names other than those recognized and forwarded to him as the leaders of the Minority in the House of Representatives” the party lamented.
But shortly after the announcement of Elumelu as the minority leader by the Speaker, Hon. Chinda in protest said that the Speaker has no powers to read a letter which emanated from members of the House to nominate the minority leader but quoting Order 8, Rule 7 of the House Rules, the Speaker ruled him out if order and hell was let loose in the green chambers as members in support and against the nomination of Elumelu attempted to disrupt proceedings and seize the mace.
After he was announced as minority leader, Hon. Elumelu and his supporters at the end of plenary quickly rushed to residence of the Chairman of PDP BoT, Senator Walid Jubril who received him and assured him of the support of members of the BoT.
But barely 24 after endorsing Hon. Elumelu, addressing the Press in his residence in Apo Thursday, Senator Walid withdrew his support said, “As a result of the fracas in the House of Representatives during the selection of the PDP/Minority, principal officers, the BOT and the NWC have decided to intervene immediately by the NWC forwarding the party’s list to the Speaker for urgent implementation.
“I want to assure all that the NWC and BOT will continue to work together in order to move the party forward” Senator Walid said.
Blueprint gathered from sources within the party, that some members of the BOT condemned the move by the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and Gov. of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike for an attempt to manipulate the party and impose their brother on the party.
The aggrieved members noted that politics is better when everyone is carried along and when the collective interest of all stakeholders and zones are taken into consideration.
They urged the party to support the emergence of Elumelu rally round him and cautioned that any attempt to reverse the trend will backfire and tear down the party.
After an insensitive meeting at the residence of the party’s Chairman, PDP NWC summons Elumelu, Oke, Ikpeazu, Others.
In the statement by the party’s national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan started that “the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its 473rd meeting today (Thursday) resolved to summon the following members to a crucial meeting at the party’s national secretariat, on Friday, July 5.
“The members are; Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Hon. Wole Oke, Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu, Hon. Anayo Edwin, Hon. Gideon Gwadi, Hon. Toby Okechukwu and Hon. Adekoya Abdul-Majid.
“The summon is in line with the provisions of Chapter 10 (57)(3) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“The members are to appear before the members of the National Working Committee at 10 am”.
An insider hinted Blueprint that, the PDP NWC might be planning to suspend those announced by the House speaker, warning that this will bring about crisis in the party if it takes such step.
