The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has slammed one-month suspension on seven of its members in the House of Representatives.
The affected Rep members are Ndudi Elumelu, Lynda Ikpeazu, Wole Oke, Anayo Edwin, Gideon Gwadi, Toby Okechukwu and Adekoya Abdul-Majid.
The suspension might have followed the failure of the lawmakers to honour invitation issued to them on Thursday, asking them to appear before the leadership of the party on Friday.
Spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan who announced the suspension order after a marathon meeting of the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) on Friday, said the party reviewed “issues surrounding the minority leadership positions” in the lower legislative house.
However, in a letter purportedly sent to the leadership of the PDP, the members explained their failure to honour the party’s summons, saying they were out of Abuja when the invitation was sent to them.
The letter, which was circulated in Abuja on Friday, was signed by one Sam Audu, who was designated as Personal Assistant to Elumelu.
The letter read, “I am in receipt of a letter dated 04 July, 2019 inviting the House Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Hon Wole Oke, Hon. Lynda lkpeazu, Hon. Anayo Edwin, Hon. Gideon Gwadi, Hon Toby Okechukwu and Hon Adekoya AbdulMajid, to appear before the NWC of our party.
“I am to inform you that the House Minority Leader. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and other members invited are currently out of Abuja. Notwithstanding, I have notified him and other members about the letters of invitation and they requested that l notify you about their absence from Abuja.
“In view of the above, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and other members invited are requesting that the meeting should be rescheduled for either Thursday, 18 July at 4:00 pm after plenary, or Friday, 19th July at 10-00 am.
“Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and other members invited, regret any inconvenience that their absence at the meeting with NWC may have caused”.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the meeting, Ologbondiyan cited the roles played by the suspended members, which he said, led to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, reading another list for Minority Leadership of the House other than the list submitted to the Speaker by the leadership of the party.
Ologbondiyan said, “After preliminary examination by the NWC, it was evident that the roles played by the above-mentioned members, bordered on indiscipline, insubordination and disobedience of party directives contrary to Section 58 (1)(b)(c)(f)(h) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), which provides that:
“Subject to the provision of this Constitution, the Party shall have power to discipline any member who says or does anything likely to bring the party into disrepute, hatred or contempt; disobeys or neglects to carry out lawful directives of the party or any organ or officer of the party; engages in anti-party activities; or engages in any conduct likely to cause disaffection among members of the party or is likely to disrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient conduct of the business of the party”.
“Consequent upon this, the above-mentioned members of our party are hereby suspended for one month and this matter is hereby referred to the National Disciplinary Committee of our
party, in keeping with Section 57(3) of the PDP Constitution”.