The Umaru Dikko-led National Disciplinary Committee makes recommendation to NWC of the ruling party
The National Disciplinary Committee, NDC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has recommended the expulsion of the embattled National Secretary of the party, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and two others, from the party.
Those whose expulsion was also recommended to the National Working Committee, NWC, are a former acting National Chairman of the PDP, Abubakar Baraje, and a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Sam Jaja.
However, the committee gave Ibrahim Kazaure up till December 10 to appear before it to clarify some issues before a decision would be taken on his matter.
The recommendation came barely a few hours after Mr. Oyinlola denied that he was one of the chieftains of the PDP faction tagged ‘New PDP’ that joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday.
Both Messrs Baraje and Jaja were among the members of the splinter group that formally teamed up with the opposition party. Indeed, it was Mr. Baraje who read the communique to the press in Abuja announcing the merger of the two groups.
The Deputy Chairman of NDC, Ebenezer Babatope, who briefed journalists on Wednesday on its assignment, said the trio of Messrs Oyinlola, Baraje and Jaja were found guilty of the charges brought against them by the party’s leadership.
“Some cases were referred to us and these cases affected Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Alhaji Kawu Barage, Sam Jaja and Alhaji Kazaure,” Mr. Babatope said.
“We have examined all the charges very meticulously and very critically and we have arrived at these conclusions that we are passing on to the National Working Committee.”
“Three of them have been found guilty of charges brought against them;and they are Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Alhaji Kawu Barage, and Sam Sam Jaja.”
“We have recommended to the NWC that they should be expelled immediately from the party.”
“On the fourth person Alhaji Kazaure, the committee took time to examine his case very well and discovered that there are certain things we want to find out from him because we feel that there are some things that should be resolved to him on the basis of the charges being proved beyond reasonable doubt.”
The NWC, had on November 11 suspended the four men, who were leaders of the defunct “New PDP,” for alleged anti-party activities and referred them to the NDC headed by Second Republic Transport minister, Umaru Dikko, for further investigation.
The panel was inaugurated two weeks earlier though it was appointed about four months before.
The PDP spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, who announced their suspension, said preliminary hearings conducted in line with the party’s constitution showed that they had breached Section 58 91) (b) (g) (h) and (i) of the document.
All the four accused, however, refused to appear before the NDC.
Mr. Oyinlola had told journalists at a press conference on November 13 that he would not appear before the panel because it was illegal. According to him, its composition had not been endorsed by the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party.
The former Osun State Governor also said that as a member of the NWC and in his capacity as national secretary, only the NEC had power to discipline him.
He insisted that he remained the undisputed national secretary of the party since the Court of Appeal, on November 6, set aside the January 11 judgement, which removed him from the position.
Mr. Babatope, at the press briefing attended by his other colleagues including Mr. Dikko, at the national secretariat of the PDP denied claims that the committee’s recommendations were premeditated.
“We met last week, we gave them seven days to appear, they were duly informed and so if some people say premeditated fine, but all we know is that this committee is composed of men and a woman of integrity,” he explained.
Mr. Babatope, a former Transport and Aviation Minister in the regime of late head of state, Sani Abacha, also said the disciplinary committee was not aware of any court case involving it.
“We are not aware of that,” he stated.
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