The National Working Committee(NWC), of the Peoples Democratic Party has voided the suspension of the chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara, by Abia State chapter of the party.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, conveyed the NWC’s position in a statement, on Tuesday.
The statement described the action of Abia State Working Committee of the party as “null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”
“The attention of the National Working Committee, NWC, of Peoples Democratic Party has been drawn to the purported suspension of chairman of the Board of Trustees of our great party, Senator Adolphus Wabara, from the party.
“The NWC categorically dismisses the purported suspension as 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.
“For emphasis, 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).
“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 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 statement read.
It would be recalled that the Abia State chapter suspended the chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara, over alleged anti-party activities.
The Abia State PDP decried Wabara’s alleged reported comments that Governor Alex Otti of Labour Party, LP, had got a second term, five months into his first term.
Citing the provisions of Articles 57(1),(2),(3), 58(1)(b) & (f) and 59(1) (e) & (f) of the party’s constitution (2017 as amended) it “debarred” Senator Wabara from “holding any party office and, therefore, equally removed from office as BoT Chairman of PDP.”
