The National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was on Thursday thrown into chaos as members of the Board of Trustee (BoT) openly exchanged words over suspension of the minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu and other members of the minority leadership.
The BoT held a marathon meeting on the matter at the Wadata plaza in Abuja which lasted for over six hours.
Drama ensued when the meeting ended and the BoT chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin and Secretary, Senator Adolphus Wabara set to brief the press.
While fielding questions from journalists, Jibrin explained that the crucial meeting was to evolve better ways to tackle the wrangling internal crisis faced by the party.
Trouble started when Jibrin told journalists that the committee was yet to submit to the NWC the report of the Senator Iyorchia Ayu led committee that was mandated by the party to probe the minority leadership of the House of Representatives.
Jibrin said,”all the issues are internal and are being handled internal. The BoT has discussed the report and recommendations and but it is not yet submitted to the NWC. I am the chairman and that is the position.”
But in a swift reaction, the BoT secratary, Senator Wabara angri objected the position of the chairman and insisted that “the report has been submitted to the NWC.”
The BoT members openly disagreed and they both engaged in heated argument before journalists intervened and calmed the situation. They both walked out in anger.
Recall that the BoT committee investigating the matter was accused by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike of being corrupt and very partial. This is just as the secretary of the committee, Austin Opara had voluntarily withdrawn from the committee without adducing cogent reasons.
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it has not reversed its stance on the suspension of minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu and other members of the minority leadership.
The NWC through the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja said, “the NWC hereby clarifies that it has not yet received any report from the Board of Trustees (BoT) concerning the outcome of the five-member committee it set up to intervene on the contentious matter.”
“Consequently, the NWC maintains that it has not taken any decision to review its subsisting stance on the minority leadership of the House of Representatives.
“In the light of public enquiries and conflicting reports on the position of the leadership of our great party on issues related to the minority leadership of the House of Representatives,” it said.
According to Ologbondiyan, the NWC is urging all critical stakeholders, party members and the general public to completely disregard any report to the contrary that it has rescind its decision on the suspension.
SOLOMON AYADO, Abuja
