The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) has said in a statement that it has not sacked the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee and has not taken over the executive role of the party.
The PDP has been in the midst of an intense leadership crisis following the conclusion of BOT Chairman Modu Sheriff’s term and attempts by him to remain in power. The PDP admits in its statement that there is a “leadership crisis” but assets that the BOT is mediating the fallout.
The party in a statement on Thursday and signed by its head of Publicity Division, Adm. Chinwe Nnorom, said the report is false, null and void adding that the BoT acted in response to contradictory court orders against the caretaker committee and the dissolved National Working Committee (NWC) in order not to leave leadership vacuum in the party.
The statement reads in part, “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to reports in the media insinuating that the Board of Trustees (BoT) has sacked the National Caretaker Committee led by H. E. Senator Ahmed Makarfi and has taken over executive role in the Party.
“The Party wishes to state without any ambiguity that the report is false, null and void as there is no section of the PDP Constitution that bequeath executive powers or authority to the Board of Trustees.
“The Board of Trustees is responding to the contradictory Court Orders against the National Caretaker Committee and the dissolved National Working Committee (NWC) in order not to leave vacuum occasioned by the said Court Orders. This action of taken over the National Secretariat by the BoT began on Tuesday May 31, 2016 pursuant to Part ix, Section (5)(e) of the Party Constitution (As Amended in 2012) which empowers the BoT as the only Organ of the Party vested with the assets and custodians of such assets.
“For emphasis, the PDP is one and united and the Board of Trustees as the Conscience of the Party is performing one of its Constitutional powers by mediating in the leadership crisis that has befallen the Party following the outcome of the just concluded National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The BoT therefore did not and has not sacked the National Caretaker Committee as alleged by some sections of the media.
“For more details, please refer to the press statement of the BoT Secretary, Amb. Chief Ojo Maduekwe titled- To Defect or Not to Defect: The Politics and the Law dated Wednesday June 1, 2016 in response to the purported defection of some National Assembly members. On this note, the Party is urging all members, supporters and friends to continue supporting the Party to restore peace and order in the PDP and disregard all reports capable of causing more acrimony and disunity in our great Party.”
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To Defect or Not to Defect: The Politics and the Law
News has reached us of decisions by some PDP members to defect to another political Party on the pretext of the existence of a faction in PDP. It is important to clarify unequivocally, that there is no faction in PDP.
There was only one approved National Convention which took place in Port Harcourt on Saturday 21st of May, 2016, which in accordance with PDP Constitution, approved some far reaching resolutions that had the unanimous support of those who attended the Port Harcourt Convention with subsequent endorsements of another PDP political meeting that took place in Abuja on the same day.
The conveners of the Abuja meeting have since integrated their positions with the structures and resolutions of the Port Harcourt Convention. Subsequent meetings of, first, Board of Trustees members, and secondly, meetings with Governor’s Forum, Leadership of National Assembly and Former Ministers in PDP Government Forum, and a PDP Former Governor’s Forum, held, and decided to work together.
Aggrieved members are being reconciled across the length and breadth of the nation. The rank and file of the Party have resolved to work together, and PDP has never been stronger than it is now since its entry into the honourable role of a robust and principled opposition.
Any suggestion of a faction, is at best ill-informed and ignorant, and at worst, is part of a grand plan to decimate the only political platform today, that is ready, experienced and able to honour the nation’s invitation to have a credible opposition party that will hold Government of the day accountable and thereby strengthen and nourish our young democracy.
Let it therefore be understood by those of our members in the National Assembly who may be tempted to jump ship, or have already jumped, that on the basis of clear decisions of cases decided in the Supreme Court, they stand the risk of losing their seats in Parliament if they went ahead with their latest indulgence.
Our Party will insist on a declaration of vacancy and subsequent elections in affected constituencies in the event of such misguided defections. The pattern of PDP electoral victories all over the federation since the 2015 General Elections shows that where there is election arising from such vacancies, PDP will return a more credible and more loyal representative of the people.
Ojo Maduekwe, Secretary BoT 1st June 2016
