The National Disciplinary Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has invited the party’s embattled National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, and 10 others over party discipline.
The Chairman of the committee, Chief Tom Ikimi, in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, said the committee had so far received and considered five petitions.
He added that the committee met on Wednesday at the Legacy House, Abuja, in line with its mandate under Section 57(1) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).
He said the first set of petitions were against some key members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
The chairman revealed that the committee however decided to step down three of the petitions against the NWC members to avoid jeopardising the ongoing reconciliatory efforts by the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Board of Trustees (BoT).
Ikimi said: “The second set of petitions which were set down for inquiry are those against former Governor of Benue, Dr. Samuel Ortom and 10 others and the petition against Anyanwu.
“Accordingly, the national disciplinary committee resolved to invite the affected persons to appear before it on Wednesday, February 12 at the Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja.
“Those expected to honour the invitation include the petitioners and their witnesses on the one hand, and the affected party members and their witnesses on the other hand.
“The required notices have been issued accordingly.”
Ikimi reiterated the committee’s commitment to ensuring discipline within the PDP and to restoring the integrity of the party.
Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye are laying claim to the PDP national secretary position.
The party BoT, its governors, and other stakeholders have recognised Ude-Okoye as the party’s national secretary.