PDP crisis: Six posers for Tukur as NEC meets‏

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Ahead of next week’s crucial meeting of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), members of
the National Executive Committee (NEC) have
raised six posers for National Chairman
Bamanga Tukur and his team in the National
Working Committee (NWC).
Tukur’s response to the posers may
determine his fate and whether or not the
crisis in the party will be resolved, The Nation
has learnt.
It was also learnt that the continued retention
in office of Prof. Olawale Oladipo as the party’s
National Secretary in the light of the
reinstatement of ex-Governor Olagunsoye
Oyinlola by a court may be a major issue at
the NEC session on Wednesday.
According to sources, members of the NEC,
especially governors, are unhappy with the
state of things in the party.
The governors feel the party can not go into
any election in its present divided form and
win.
Some of the posers, which are contained in a
document obtained by our correspondent last
night, are as follows:
•what accounted for the breach of the PDP’s
constitution on convening of NEC meeting?
•what informed arbitrary and illegal
suspension of top PDP members, including
governors,and high-handedness by Tukur?
•the rationale for unilateral dissolution of state
Executive Councils by Tukur and NWC.
•why did Tukur’s NWC usurp NEC’s powers
on the appointment of the Disciplinary
Committee for the PDP at the national level?
•Tukur’s position on the grievances of the
governors and ways to prevent more
defections, and
•the party’s perspective on court rulings on
the office of the National Secretary of the
party.
A source, who is a party to the document,
said members were angry over the violation of
the party’s constitution on NEC meetings.
Part VIII, S.31 (4) of the PDP constitution
prescribes the mode of summoning NEC
meetings.
The section says: “The National Executive
Committee shall meet once every quarter, at
the instance of the National Party Chairman or
at the request of two-thirds of its
membership….”
PDP has held only two NEC meetings since
Tukur was elected 21 months ago.
“By simple arithmetic calculation, PDP NEC
meeting ought to have held at least seven
times since Tukur assumed office as PDP
national chairman,” said the source, who
added:
“Also being called to question is the validity of
several decisions which Tukur’s opponents
regard as serial violation of the PDP’s
constitution through alleged unilateral
dissolution of state Executive Councils,
arbitrary and illegal suspension of top PDP
members and high-handedness.”
Another source gave an insight into other
issues bothering NEC members.
The source said: “Another matter that would
put to test the power of PDP NEC is the
alleged usurpation of its powers by Tukur’s
NWC on the appointment of the Disciplinary
Committee for the PDP at the national level.
“Chapter X, S.57 (2) of the party’s
constitution stipulates that ‘’The Disciplinary
Committee shall be appointed by the
appropriate Executive Committee of the
party.
“If that aspect of the PDP constitution would
be followed, the Umaru Dikko panel is an
illegality because its composition was not
authorised by the PDP NEC.”
There is also “the moral angle”.
“No sincere leader of the status of national
chairman of a political party would allow
disintegration to get to this stage before
applying wisdom and damage control
mechanism in the interest of the party. No
good leader fights on all fronts without re-
assessing tactics, especially when the style of
leadership is alleged to be autocratic and
injurious to the interests of the party.
The party’s NEC may also upbraid the NWC
for not taking decisive actions to assist Tukur
in managing the crises.
The NEC may ask Tukur and NWC members
questions on the office of the National
Secretary, which Oyinlola and Oladipo are
laying claim to.
Concerns have been raised on the legality of
Oladipo’s continued occupation of the office –
a development which sources say may
backfire; if the Supreme Court invalidates his
stay in office.
Said the source: “Everybody heard the ruling
of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division
which in November 2013, upturned the
ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja and
pronounced Oyinlola as the validly elected
PDP national secretary at the party’s national
convention of March 24, 2012.
“The report of the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, whose officials
monitored the convention, affirmed that
Oyinlola was duly elected. Herein lies the
moral angle. Following the ruling of the
Federal High Court which invalidated
Oyinlola’s election on January 11, 2013, he
was asked to vacate office to pursue his
appeal and report back if his appeal
succeeded.
“When his appeal succeeded, the tune
changed as the NWC was
of using different yardsticks in the
interpretation of justice as Oladipo, who never
purchased a nomination form for election into
the office of national secretary, and was
accused of coming in through a flawed
process vowed to stay in office as national
secretary.
The PDP constitution at Chapter VII, S.49
stipulates that the national secretary shall be
elected at the national convention of the
party.