A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Daboikiabo Warmate, has advised the party’s governors forum to immediately withdraw its resolution recognising Sunday Udey-Okoye as the party national secretary.
Warmate in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, described the resolution as an unconstitutional declaration of a state of emergency and a coup against members of the PDP.
It would be recalled that the PDP Governors’ Forum (PDPGF) had issued a communique after its meeting on Monday in Ibadan announced its resolution to recognise Udey-Okoye as the party national secretary.
Warmate said that the resolution ran contrary to the Supreme Court judgement and the PDP constitution.
He added that the consequences of the resolution would be severe if not withdrawn, as it remained unpopular.
Warmate said that Sen. Samuel Anyanwu had at no point resigned his position as the PDP National Secretary, and wondered why he should be sidelined.
He said that Anyanwu remained the national secretary of PDP, in consonance with the Supreme Court judgement and the PDP constitution.
“The PDP constitution clearly stipulates how a national officer of the party can be elected, appointed, replaced or removed in line with sections 45, 47, 49, 57 and 59.
“Sen. Anyanwu has neither resigned nor the office of the national secretary vacant to warrant an acting national secretary or a call for a replacement.
“It is the national convention that is saddled with the sole authority to appoint or remove national officers.
“Therefore, the PDP Governors Forum’s recommendation, directly and indirectly contradicts and violates all relevant sections of the PDP constitution.”
Warmate said that the PDP governors forum had allegedly usurped the duties of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the convention.
He said that the governors forum lacked the constitutional powers to impose on the party its decisions, most especially an unpopular one at that.
He advised the governors forum to go and resolve personal rift with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and not add the position of the national secretary to their existing problem.
“I urge the governors forum not to allow their ego and proxy war to exacerbate the already existing tension in the party that is a product of their misguided actions.
“You cannot have a substantive national secretary in the person of Anyanwu and appoint the deputy national secretary as an acting national secretary.
“I condemn and reject in totality the resolution two of the communique of the PDP governors forum,” he said
Warmate said that the Gov. Bala Muhammad led PDP governors forum should be held responsible if the party fails to meet the expectations of Nigerians. (NAN)
