The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) Tuesday night nullified the purported suspension of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara.
The party’s State Working Committee (SWC) in Abia had during a meeting presided over by the Chairman, Abraham Amah, earlier on Tuesday suspended the former Senate president.
The PDP has been embroiled in a leadership crisis with Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Udeh-Okoye laying claim to the national secretary position.
However, the BoT on February 5 recognised Udeh-Okoye as the PDP national secretary instead of the embattled Anyanwu.
In a statement, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, described Wabara’s suspension as constitutional and of no effect.
He said the purported suspension was not consistent with the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and the party’s laid down rules.
The spokesman said: “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 for under Section 57 (7) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017)
“Section 57(7) is unambiguous in providing this.
“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.”
Ologunagba said the import of the section was that the Abia chapter had no power whatsoever to take any disciplinary action against Wabara, who is a member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
“The PDP, therefore, condemns the purported suspension of Sen. Wabara as reckless and unconstitutional.
“The party 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,” he added.
