The national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed the suspension of its Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, from the party by the Abia State chapter.
The national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba, said the “purported suspension is null and void and of no effect whatsoever not being consistent with the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) and laid down Rules of our great Party.”
Earlier yesterday, the Abia State chapter of PDP said it suspended Wabara, a former Senate president, for one month over alleged antiparty activity.
The State Working Committee/State Executive Committee resolved to suspend Wabara by a majority voice vote during a meeting in Umuahia, the state capital on Tuesday.
The suspension followed a motion moved by the treasurer, Chizurum Kelechi Kanu which was supported by the assistant organising secretary, Prince Obinna Oge.
Interestingly, Wabara’s suspension comes days after the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) which he leads, asked the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP to swear in Sunday Ude-Okoye as national secretary of PDP, a move that was rejected by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who has insisted that he remains national secretary.
But Ologunagba said no State Working Committee has the power to suspend or take any disciplinary action against a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party without due recourse to the NWC as clearly provided under Section 57 (7) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).
He added that Section 57 (7) is unambiguous in providing that; “Notwithstanding any other provision relating to discipline, no Executive Committee at any level, except the National Executive Committee, shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, Deputy Governors or members of the National Assembly…”
“The explicit import of Section 57 (7) is that the Abia State Chapter has no powers whatsoever to take any disciplinary action against the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, being a member of the National Executive Committee of the Party.
“The PDP therefore condemns the purported suspension of Senator Wabara as reckless, unconstitutional and cautions those behind this act in defiance of the PDP Constitution to retrace their steps as the NWC will not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary actions to preserve the stability of our Party and the sanctity of its Constitution.
“The NWC calls on all leaders, critical stakeholders, members and supporters of our Party in Abia State, the South East Zone and indeed across the country to disregard the purported suspension,” the party national spokesman said.
