PDP raises 5-man c’ttee to settle House leadership rift

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Resolute to settle the rift created by Minority leadership crisis in the House of Representatives, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday, named a five-man fact finding Committee to look into roles played by some members of the party.

To head the committee is Senator Iyorcha Ayu while Rt. Hon. Austin Opara will serve as Secretary.

Other members of the Committee are former Senate Presidents David Mark and Adolphus Wabara and former deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu.

The committee has one week to submit its report.

The chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibril, who briefed the press after an emergency meeting of the BoT, said the constitution of the Committee is a joint decision of both the BoT and the National Working Committee.

He said the two organs are in unison and interested in avoiding issues that can bring division into the party.

According to Jibril, the party currently cannot afford a crack in its ranks, saying “both agreed to cooperate to avoid any division.

“We have decided to wade into the fracas in the House of Representatives as regards the minority leadership.

“They have been given a week to submit their reports to the BoT and National Working Committee thereafter, a decision would be taken”.

The BoT Chairman insisted that the party supremacy is sacrosanct.

“The issue of House of Representatives will soon be resolved by the party. It will not break the party”, he added.

The BoT, he said, passed vote of confidence on the judiciary and expressed hope that their decisions will deepen the democracy. He called on party members to remain law abiding and work the party’s leadership.

“We agreed again that our party will play the role of opposition. We are in support of the process going on at the Supreme Court and thirdly we congratulate the judiciary for a job well done. We are very encouraged with the judges and if they continue, our democracy in Nigeria will be better.

“So I call on all our members to be law abiding and to ensure that our party keeps moving and to play the role of opposition. We have to be very careful and obey the party because the party is supreme.

We congratulate the new leadership of the Senate for coming out with the leaders and the minority leaders.

“I assure you that the issue of House of Representatives will soon be solved by the party. We must ensure that we do not break this party. The party will continue and nobody will make any attempt to do away with our party”, said Jibril.

The PDP NWC had earlier suspended for one month, Hons. Elumelu, Tobi Okechukwu and five others accused of frustrating the emergence of Hon. Kingsley Chinda as the preferred Minority leader, asking them to face a disciplinary committee.