The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Walid Jibrin, on Tuesday said the party’s BoT and its National Working Committee had waded into the crisis rocking the House of Representatives over the choice of the House’s minority leaders.
Jibrin, while addressing journalists in Abuja, said the PDP BoT and NWC had constituted a committee to review the issue and report to them in one week.
He named members of the committee to include a former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu; a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara; a former Senate President, David Mark; a former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, and a former Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara.
He said, “We have decided to wade into the crisis in the House of Representatives as regards the minority leadership. To that effect, a committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Senator Iyorchia Ayu, Senator David Mark, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Senator Adolphus Wabara and Honourable Austin Opara as the secretary to the committee.
“They have been given a week to submit their report to the BoT and the National Working Committee thereafter; a decision would be taken.”
Jibrin said the BoT passed a vote of confidence in the judiciary, adding that their decisions would deepen democracy. He called on party members to remain law-abiding and work harmoniously with the party leadership.
He said, “We agreed again that our party will play the role of the opposition. We are in support of the process going on at the Supreme Court and thirdly we congratulate the judiciary for a job well done.
“We are very encouraged with the judges and if they continue, our democracy in Nigeria will be better.
“So, I call on all our members to be law-abiding and to ensure that our party keeps moving and to play the role of the opposition. We have to be very careful and obey the party because the party is supreme. We congratulate the new leadership of the Senate for coming out with the leaders and the minority leaders.
“I assure you that the issue of the House of Representatives will soon be solved by the party. We must ensure that we do not break this party. The party will continue and nobody will make any attempt to do away with our party.”
The PDP NWC had suspended a member representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State, Mr Ndudi Elumelu, after the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajamiabila, announced Elumelu as the Minority Leader of the House contrary to the list submitted by the PDP.
The NWC also suspended the lawmaker representing Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency of Osun State, Wole Oke; the lawmaker representing Onitsha North and Onitsha South Federal Constituency, Lynda Ikpeazu; member representing Ezza North/Ishielu Federal Constituency, Anayo Edwin; member representing Kaura Federal Constituency election in Kaduna State, Gideon Gwani; member representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency of Enugu State, Toby Okechukwu; and member representing Ijebu-North / Ijebu-East / Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency, Adekoya Abdul-Majid.
The seven members were suspended for one month for alleged “indiscipline, insubordination and disobedience to the party directives.”
The PDP had, in a letter dated June 21, addressed to the Speaker, confirmed that Kingsley Chinda, who is the lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, was the selected Minority Leader; Chukwuka Onyema (Deputy Minority Leader); Yakubu Barde (Minority Whip) and Muraina Ajibola (Deputy Minority Whip).
The letter was signed by the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, and the PDP Secretary, Senator Umaru Tsauri.
Culled from PUNCH.
