Ignore G-5 At Your Own Peril, Ortom Warns PDP

In the aftermath of the crisis rocking the party, the national leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, may have called the bluff and moved on with campaigns ahead of the 2023 general election without five aggrieved governors but they would be doing so at their own peril.

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, who sounded the warning yesterday,   reiterated the call on the leadership of the party to deploy internal mechanism to resolve the wrangling within the party.

Speaking during the inauguration of state campaign council and management team at the party’s secretariat in Makurdi, the governor said failure to do so may mar PDP’s chances in the 2023 general polls.

He also announced the donation of 25 Hilux vehicles by his Rivers State counterpart, Governor Nyesom Wike, to the state campaign council.

LEADERSHIP recalls that Ortom, Wike, their Oyo, Abia and Enugu counterparts, Seyi Makinde, Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, had been at loggerheads with the leadership of the party since the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.

At a point, some party members urged Atiku to move on since the governors who are now referred to as the G-5 have refused to shift ground on the sack of the national chairman, Iyorcha Ayu.

But Ortom rekindled hope of reconciliation yesterday when he insisted that the party’s internal crisis resolution mechanism must be deployed, adding that the PDP must listen to the voice of reason to solve the lingering crisis.

He said, “Those who say five governors do not matter are saying it at their own peril. It is impossible to move forward with this crisis. If the candidate and leadership of the party comes out in sincerity and open up to resolve the issues, we will work together. I am working for PDP but where a particular person says that Ortom does not matter, that is where we have issues.

“We do not have issues with the candidate but those who say that 5 governors do not matter. There is no way you can dismiss the issues that are being raised by the 5 governors. Let there be a committee where the issues will be tabled and resolved. If this is not done, I do not guarantee what will happen in 2023.”

The Venue governor noted that PDP in the state is not in contest with any other party, adding that the main opposition party, APC, did not follow due process in the conduct of its governorship primaries, and therefore the party may not feature any candidate during the 2023 governorship election.

Ogun PDP Expels Gov’ship Candidate, 3 Others Over Alleged Forgery, Disobedience

Meanwhile, the crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the PDP yesterday assumed a new dimension as the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party expelled the governorship candidate, Otunba Jimi Lawal, over allegations of gross misconduct, forgery, anti-party activities, as well as disobedience to the party’s constitution.

Lawal whose expulsion is premised on the recommendations of the party’s disciplinary committee set up by its NWC and the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) headed by Barrister Tola Odulaja was expelled alongside three others namely Muyiwa Odebiyi, Moruf Olajide and Ademola Ojoye.

Addressing journalists at the PDP secretariat in Abeokuta, the chairman of the disciplinary committee, Barr Tola Odulaja, said their expulsion was in accordance with the party’s constitutional provision.

Odulaja explained that the committee set up in February 2022 by the NWC of the party recommended their expulsion following Jimi Lawal’s disregard for the party and his decision ro organise ‘illegal’ rerun governorship primary in the state.

But in a swift reaction to the development, Lawal described his expulsion as “a joke taken too far”.

In a statement signed by the project director of  Jimi Adebisi Lawal Campaign Organization (JALCO), Austin Oniyokor, Lawal maintained that “the purported suspension and illegal expulsion are comical acts taken too far”.

The statement noted: “Our attention has been drawn to the purported expulsion of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Jimi Adebisi Lawal and other chieftains of the party by some dissidents.

“This is a joke taken too far. Indeed, it is illegality upon illegality, all amounting to illegalities. How can these people take such a step when the initial illegal act is already a subject of litigation at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta; and the parties, including the active participants had been served the court summons. As a matter of fact, the matter came up yesterday, Monday, 31st October, 2022 at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta. Definite hearing has been fixed for 30th November, 2022.

“Clearly, the purported suspension and illegal expulsion are comical acts taken too far. These steps cannot stand the test of time and the law. These acts are contemptuous of the court which will be set aside sooner than later as in the case of Amaechi v. INEC & Ors. (No. 1) (2007) 18 NWLR (Pt. 1065) 42”.

“We implore all our long-standing delegates, leaders, elders and stakeholders of the party to remain calm. All these shenanigans are no more than a storm in a teacup. It will soon fizzle out.”