A constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Mike Ahamba, has faulted calls for the removal from office of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, saying Anyanwu didn’t breach any part of the PDP constitution.
The senior lawyer advised those seeking Anyanwu’s removal from office to, either wait for him to voluntarily resign, or wait for the Supreme Court to determine his appeal.
Leaders of the main opposition party have been at loggerheads since last year when Anyanwu clinched the party ticket to contest the Imo State governorship election. Some interest groups want him to, having gone to run for the governorship election, step down as national secretary.
However, speaking yesterday on the telephone, Ahamba said he had carefully studied the PDP constitution, and that there was nowhere in the document where a party officer seeking to contest an election is mandated to resign his party office.
According to the senior lawyer, Section 48 (1) of the PDP constitution expressly stated that a party officer who wins a general election may continue to hold the party office until he “assumes” the position of lawmaker, governor or president.
“I’m not only a senior member of the PDP, I’m a senior member of the legal profession. And once interpretation of law is concerned, I remove my garb of politics.
“Now, this issue that is causing trouble in the party, is covered by Section 48 (1) of our party, which states: ‘Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, any member holding any office in the party at any level, shall be deemed to have resigned that office if he or she assumes any of the following offices; (I) Governor or Deputy Governor of a State,” noted Ahamba.
He continued, “Samuel Anyanwu never assumed the office of Governor of Imo State. He only contested election there.. I’m not on any side of the divide; I’m just saying that this is what our constitution says.
“I’m waiting for how the Supreme Court will interpret it; that’s all I’m waiting for now. We don’t have any other Constitution (of PDP) from the one I know,” remarked the SAN.
“They have to be patient to let the Supreme Court rule. I don’t like the way my party is coming with court proceedings,” he declared
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