PDP suspends Elumelu, Oke, Ikpeazu, 4 others over house minority leadership

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended seven members of the House of Representatives elected on its platform over the minority leadership of the House, for a period of one month.

The suspended lawmakers are; Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Wole Oke, Lynda Ikpeazu, Anayo Edwin, Gideon Gwadi, Toby Okechukwu and Adekoya Abdul-Majid.

Addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said the decision to suspend the seven members was reached at the meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), held at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja.

Ologbondiyan explained that the lawmakers played roles that 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 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,” he said.

The PDP had Thursday, requested the lawmakers to appear before the NWC yesterday, but they failed to do so.