House minority leadership tussle tears PDP hierarchy apart

.Elumelu, others remain suspended, says NWC

.BoT chairman, scribe in open confrontation over c’ttee report

Acrimony among organs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the party’s minority leadership positions in the House of Representatives has deepened as the National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) disagreed on the party’s intervention.

The board of trustees ended its meeting on Thursday on a divisive note, as the Chairman, Senator Walid Jubrin and Secretary, former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, disagreed openly on the submission of the Iyorcha Ayu committee to the NWC.

Addressing the press after the meeting, Sen. Jubrin said the BoT is yet to take any decision on the House minority leadership crisis, adding that it has not submitted its decision on the Iyorcha Ayu committee to the NWC.

When further probed, the BoT chairman said he will not comment further on the issue because it is an internal issue, adding that the board will communicate its decision to the NWC at the appropriate time.

But, he was cut short by Secretary, Senator Wabara, who contradicted Sen. Jubrin that the BoT has concluded its assignment on the issue and has subsequently, submitted its report to the NWC.

The chairman corrected Sen. Wabara openly by saying, “no, I am the chairman of the board and I have not submitted any report. We are still working on it.”

Sen. Jubrin went further to say that the BoT has not even received the report of the Iyorcha Ayu committee. Obviously, shaking his head while the chairman talked, Wabara said; “I can say authoritatively, that we have submitted the report to the NWC. You cannot tell me what to say. I am not a kid.”

However, while the BoT meeting which lasted over three hours was ongoing, another organ of the party, the National Working Committee (NWC) issued a statement to clarify that it has not yet received any report from the board of trustees concerning the outcome of the five-member committee it set up to intervene on the contentious matter.

The NWC said since it has not received any report from the BoT, its suspension of the House of Representatives Minority Leader, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu and six others for going against the party’s decision stands.

The NWC in a statement by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said “consequently, the NWC maintains that it has not taken any decision to review its subsisting stance on the minority leadership of the House of Representatives.

“The NWC therefore, urges critical stakeholders, party members and the general public to completely disregard any report to the contrary.