House leadership fallout: PDP suspends Elumelu, others

The Peoples Democratic Party on Friday suspended Ndudi Elumelu, the minority leader of the House of Representatives.

Other lawmakers suspended by the main opposition party are, Wole Oke, Lynda Ikpeazu, Anayo Edwin, Gideon Gwadi, Toby Okechukwu and Adekoya Abdul-Majid.

In a statement, PDP’s national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said decision was a resolution of the National working Committee who sat on Friday to review the circumstances that led to Elumelu’s emergence as minority leader of the house of representative against the choice sent by the party .

The other suspended members also emerged as leaders against those nominated by the party.

The PDP summoned Mr Elumelu and the other lawmakers to meeting on Thursday.

The statement read in part, “The Party noted the roles played by the underlisted members which resulted in the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, reading another list for Minority Leadership of the House other than the list submitted to him by our party, the PDP.”

“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.”