Reps’ Minority offices’ crisis: PDP summons Elumelu, Oke, Ikpeazu, 4 others

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has summoned seven of its elected members in the House of Representatives, who are at the centre of the controversy surrounding the appointment into the various offices reserved for the minority party in the lower arm of the National Assembly.
The decision to summon the seven federal lawmakers was taken by the NWC) of the PDP at its 473rd meeting yesterday in Abuja.The lawmakers are to appear before the NWC members at the PDP headquarters by 10am today.The summoned members are; Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Hon. Wole Oke, Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu, Hon. Anayo Edwin, Hon. Gideon Gwadi, Hon. Toby Okechukwu and Hon. Adekoya Abdul-Majid.
According to the PDP NWC, “The summon is in line with the provisions of Chapter 10 (57)(3) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”The members are to appear before the members of the National Working Committee at 10 am”, the party said in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan.
In a related development, the Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jibrin said the board would intervene in minority leadership crisis in the House of Representatives.
The party leadership, it will be recalled, had forwarded the name of Kingsley Chinda as its minority leader as against Ndudi Elumelu who was announced by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila for the position during Wednesday’s plenary.
Senator Jibrin who had earlier endorsed Elumelu, at a press conference yesterday, said he was not aware that the position was contentious.
He said the BoT would work with the National Working Committee (NWC) to resolve the crisis.
His words, “As a result of the fracas in the House of Representatives during the selection of the PDP/Minority, principal officers, the BoT and the NWC have decided to intervene immediately by forwarding the party’s list to the Speaker for urgent implementation. “I want to assure all that the NWC and BoT will continue to work together in order to move the party forward. That is my statement,” Senator Jibrin said.
He however, refused to entertain any question during the press conference.