PDP Crisis: NEC Member Slams Govs For Backing Ude-Okoye

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BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – A member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Nigeria’s main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Umar Abdullahi, has slammed the party’s Governors Forum for openly backing Sunday Ude-Okoye as the National Secretary.

Abdullahi warned that such support will compound the crisis rocking the party, even as he insisted the position was quite inflammatory and unwise.

Addressing Journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Abdullahi said the governors’ stance was against the overall interest of the party, noting that using their communique to address a conflict within the Party is an inappropriate step for such a dignified forum.

Abdullahi, who was reacting to the PDP Governors Forum’s communique issued after its meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Friday, said: “The Governors are supposed to deploy all internal conflict resolution mechanisms before resorting to public pronouncement. The forum holds a place of honour and should discharge their duties in a fatherly manner.

“Again, disregarding the legal position of the matter in issuing a public statement of such nature, the Governors appear to be exercising authority beyond their constitutional powers.

“Their opinion counts but cannot override the decision of the court of competent jurisdiction and that of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party which is a statutory organ of the party.

“The decision of the Governors is not an appropriate step to achieve peace more-so when the appeal is pending in court for determination.”

According to him; “It is quite unfortunate that the PDP Governors’ Forum decided not to wait for the fact-finding Committee set up by the PDP Board of Trustees to complete its assignment, before issuing an advisory that has escalated the crisis.

“The Governors’ Forum could have set up their own independent committee to look into the matter, in the best interest of the party.”

On the petition written by Sen. Anyanwu to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), alleging that a certain group of persons forged the PDP constitution/Electoral Guidelines used in misleading the court to deliver judgement against him, Abdullahi further said; “This is something that should be taken up seriously before anybody can back up the judgement.

“An issue of forgery involving PDP document is a serious criminal offense which the Governors are expected to fight against.”

Consequently, the NEC member urged the Governors to retrace their steps as leaders of the Party and the nation to “ensure that due diligence is followed in resolving this crises in the party”.

Forefront News recalled that the PDP Governors had recently declared support for Ude-Okoye citing the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal, Enugu division.

But reacting to the Forum’s position, the embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu claimed being in possession of a stay of execution order from an Abuja Appeal Court, with his appeal already against the judgment already filed at the Supreme Court.

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