PDP disciplinary committee illegal, says Oyinlola Suspended National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has stated that as a law abiding member of the PDP and free citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he will not be an accomplice to constitutional violations. He said this is more so as he had sworn to an oath of office stipulating that he would respect and protect the grund norm of the PDP in his capacity as the custodian of its seal. Oyinlola, who stated this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, said he was conscious of the provisions of the PDP constitution, which states that “nominations to membership of the Disciplinary Committee at the national level shall be ratified by the National Executive Council of the PDP.” He said as a law abiding member of the PDP, he was not aware of the composition of any disciplinary panel. He said no such panel had been ratified or known to the NEC of the PDP and therefore described the panel as illegal. Oyinlola, whose statement was signed by his Principal Secretary, Mr. Femi Adelegan,vowed not to appear before the panel, adding that he had not even been communicated since his purported suspension from the party. Apart from him, the party also suspended the former Acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje; former Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja; and Vice Chairman of the party in the North-West, Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure. Sources close to the Disciplinary Committee, which is headed by a former Minister of Transport, Dr. Umaru Dikko told our correspondent that the suspended men might be summoned before the committee anytime from now. But Oyinlola said, ‘’This reaction, itself is being made out courtesy for the media and its right to be inform and informed as Oyinlola has not received any correspondence from any quarters and would not honour any invitation from any illegal body since that would amount to violating the constitution of the party. “As individuals and elders, the PDP National Secretary has great respect for the members of the National Working Committee, (but any) committee that is, however, not recognised by the PDP constitution which stipulates that the party’s NEC is the statutory body to approve the composition of a disciplinary body at the national level. ‘’It is important to stress that the first meeting of NEC of PDP, which is statutorily expected to be a quarterly affair, deliberated on the composition of NEC but never agreed on its membership at the meeting. “I am also sure that the second NEC meeting, out of the seven meetings that ought to have been held statutorily by the present NWC did not also agree on the membership of any Disciplinary Committee’.”
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 19:54:04 +0000
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