The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the suspension of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Senator Adolphus Wabara, as null and void.
Wabara was suspended by the Abia State chapter of the PDP for anti-parry activities.
According to the chairman of the party in the state, Abraham Amah, Wabara was suspended because he endorsed the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, for a second term barely five months into his administration in October 2023.
In a statement, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said the suspension is not consistent with the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) and laid down Rules of the party.
He said no State Working Committee has the power to suspend or take any disciplinary action against a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party without due recourse to the NWC as clearly provided under Section 57 (7) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017)
He said Section 57 (7) is unambiguous in providing that; “Notwithstanding any other provision relating to discipline, no Executive Committee at any level, except the National Executive Committee, shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, Deputy Governors or members of the National Assembly…”
Ologunagba said, “The explicit import of Section 57 (7) is that the Abia State Chapter has no powers whatsoever to take any disciplinary action against the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, being a member of the National Executive Committee of the party.”
He said the PDP condemned the purported suspension as reckless, unconstitutional and cautioned those behind the act in defiance of the PDP Constitution to retrace their steps as the NWC will not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary actions to preserve the stability of the party and the sanctity of its Constitution.
“The NWC calls on all leaders, critical stakeholders, members and supporters of our Party in Abia State, the South East Zone and indeed across the country to disregard the purported suspension,” he concluded.
