‘Marginalised’ House Members Threaten to Boycott PDP Convention

  •  Court restrains Nguru from parading self as Yobe party chairman

Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

Aggrieved members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives have threatened to shun the party’s non-elective convention slated for tomorrow over what they termed their maltreatment and disregard by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee.

This, they said, is despite their decision to provide the caucus Wuse II, Abuja Secretariat to the caretaker committee for its use during the leadership tussle, and their donation of N10 million just two weeks ago.

The members alleged that they have been disregarded by the committee despite the unwavering support to the committee in the heat of the leadership crises that rocked the party for several months.

They accused the caretaker committee of dissolving state executives in Anambra, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun and Osun including the South-west Zonal Executive, against court orders and setting up caretaker committees.

The members also alleged marginalisation of members from states that are not governed by the PDP. Some of the states include Lagos, Anambra, Plateau, Imo, Kogi, Osun, Oyo and Ogun.

A member of the caucus who spoke to THISDAY off record said the aggrieved members have reached out to the party leadership, but have been ignored.
“As a caucus, we donated N10 million to the committee just two weeks ago to assist. We also allowed the use of our secretariat when the caretaker committee could not access the National headquarters, when it was sealed by police, we were vocally supportive of the committee. Would anyone therefore say we are not loyal enough,” the member said.

Another member said the party does not seem to have learnt from its past errors.
“Similar issues almost led to the complete destruction and decimation of our party in the past. Now that we all feel we should put our house in order, and give Nigerians the opposition they need, they have started marginalising some of us again. How can you set up caretaker committees in states without the input of key people in the party? Why would you even ignore existing court orders in some states, when even you, as national caretaker committee is being validated by a court order,” the member said.

Attempts to get the reaction of the Minority Leader, Hon Leo Ogor, failed as his mobile phone was switched off.
In another development, a High Court in Damaturu has ordered Mr. Sani Inuwa Nguru to desist from parading himself as the Chairman of the PDP, Yobe State chapter with immediate effect.

Justice U.Z Mohammed in his ruling yesterday, ordered Inuwa and any other person apart from the plaintiffs, from presenting themselves as the state executive of the party, pending the determination of the plantiff’s motion on notice.

The plaintiffs are Mr. Gana Lawan, and 26 others, while other defendants listed alongside Inuwa are the PDP, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, the Inspector General of Police, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

In a copy of the ruling obtained by THISDAY, the judge restrained and prohibited all other defendants from recognising or dealing with other persons other than the plaintiff, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“The 1st defendant (Inuwa) is also ordered to suspend all activities as the chairman of the PDP in Yobe state, and status quo be maintained pending the determination of the motion on notice,” it read.

It should be recalled that the Lawan Gana led exco was elected at the state congress in May 2016.

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