Reps Minority Tussle: Rescind Suspension – PDP Factional Caucus begs Secondus, NWC

By Christiana Ekpa

The Factional Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House of Representatives yesterday appealed to the National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus and the National Working Committee (NWC) to rescind the ealier decision that suspended the embattled minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu and other minority leaders from the opposition party.
The caucus said the suspended leaders has no faults in the nomination and the election by majority of members of the minority parties in the House.
They insisted that instead, the party should have suspended the 111 of the minority party members that signed the nomination, and not just suspending only 6 members.
Recall that the PDP had suspended six members of the party including Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, Toby Okechukwu, Gideon Gwani, Linda Ikpeazu and Adesegun Adekoya among others for violating the unanimous decision of the party on nomination of principal leaders of the minority in the House of Representatives.
But briefing National Assembly correspondents in Abuja on Monday, the PDP Caucus led by Hon. Legor Idakpo who is deputy chairman, House committee on Legislative budget and research, said the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila was communicated the resolution by majority members of the minority caucus.
He stated that resolution of the caucus was inaccordance with the rules of the House – Order 7, Rule 8 which is a derivative of Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended.
“We would like to state that the parliament since 1999 till date, has remained an independent body that has not been coerced into accepting any leadership imposed on it by external influence not inline with the wishes of the majority of its members.”
“We would like to appeal to our National party chairman and the NWC of our great party, who we know are seasoned and experience politicians that understand the dynamics to rescind their earlier decision to suspend our leaders, who through no fault of theirs were nominated and elected by majoriry of members of the minority parties.
“Were an offense to have been committed in this process, the perpatrators would be all 111 of us, not 6 members as were suspended by our great party,” Idakpo insisted.
Stating further, the caucus said the minority parties were however, passed a vote of confidence on the newly constituted minority leadership led by Elumelu.
They however, sued for peace and stated that the PDP minority Caucus is available for further discusions with NWC of PDP on how to resolve the lingering issues and move the party forward.