The State Working Committee (SWC) of the Delta State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), rising from an emergency meeting, yesterday has suspended the Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi, for a period of one month.
But in a swift reaction, the Senator, through his aide, Mr. Philip Elueme, has described the suspension as unconstitutional.
But the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, in a statement, said the suspension became necessary against the backdrop of the recent romance with an opposition party, verbal recklessness, and unprovoked utterances of Nwaoboshi, particularly against Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, of Delta State.
Osuoza said the PDP State Working Committee viewed Nwaoboshi’s activities strongly as totally unacceptable, disturbing and unbecoming of a politician and party member of his stature.
“The PDP State Working Committee is in no doubt that the rash, unguarded, confused and heavily noxious, and vitriolic attacks by Senator Nwaoboshi, a serving Senator and a very recent chairman of our great party, are potentially inimical to the peace and harmony of the Party and tantamount to causing discord and disaffection among loyal Party members.
“The suspension, therefore, though obligatory, has sadly become imperative and inevitable, especially given the dramatic spontaneity and over-zealousness of his verbal attacks, which are totally out of character and may have suspiciously been induced by circumstances which defy immediate rational analysis and comprehension
“The matter has been referred to the State Disciplinary Committee, in order to afford Senator Nwaoboshi a fair hearing and the opportunity to appear before it and defend himself over his recent utterances and actions against the Party and its leadership, in the state.
Meanwhile, Nwaoboshi described his suspension as not only unconstitutional, but also laughable.
His aide, Philip Elueme, in a statement, said: “Senator Nwaoboshi notes, curiously, that this irrational, laughable, illegal and unconstitutional action of this bunch of alarmingly, anti-democratic forces masquerading as the State Working Committee is against the principles of fair hearing – audi alteram paten – as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution, a document that supercedes all other documents.”
He cited the PDP 2017 constitution as amended, chapter 10, article 57(7) page 99 states to defend his position.
