Enugu PDP Crisis Deepens as Deputy Chairman Insists He is Authentic Leader
The crisis bedeviling the Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened as the Deputy Chairman of the State Executive Committee (SEC), David Aja, has rejected the appointment of the Mr. Ikeje Asogwa, as the acting chairman of the party in the state following the resignation of Vita Abba as the state party chairman.
The PDP SEC had in a statement signed by the state Publicity Secretary, Okey Eze, and made available to journalists at the end of an emergency meeting which was presided over by the state Governor, Sullivan Chime, at the weekend, premised Asogwa’s appointment on Section 47 of the PDP constitution.
However, the deputy chairman of the state chapter of the party, Aja, has described the SEC meeting and the Asogwa’s appointment as the new chairman as “illegal, null, and void” since both, according to him, did not comply with the constitution of the party.
Citing sections 35 and 45 of the party constitution, which also apply to all levels of the party, Aja argued that he, and not the state secretary of the party, was the one duly empowered to convene the SEC meeting in the event of the resignation of the chairman.
Although the SEC said it appointed Asogwa, who is from the same zone as Abba “in line with article 47 (6) of the PDP constitution,” the deputy chairman also told journalists that he was the only person constitutionally empowered to act as chairman until a substantive state chairman is elected.
He said: “I told them that under section 35 and section 45 (1), of the party’s constitution, which subsection 4 clearly states that it applies to the states chapters, if the national chairman resigns, the deputy chairman takes over, even if it is for one day, and he should be the one to convene the National Executive Committee (NEC) where a new national chairman would be elected, but they turned down my submission.
“I was sitting beside the governor and I told him that what they were doing was wrong because I am the right person to convene the meeting, but he said under section 47(1), the SEC can meet and choose another person from the same zone to replace the chairman.
“I told them that I was not complaining about who replaces the chairman, but that the procedure was wrong. I adjourned the meeting and wanted to walk out of the meeting, but a governorship aspirant asked me to sit back that it was wrong to walk out on the governor.
“As far as I am concerned, I remain the acting chairman of the party in the state until a substantive chairman is elected.”
He continued: “Most members of the committee were not present at the meeting and I felt what they were doing at the meeting was not right.
“I told them I was the right person to chair the meeting in the absence of the state chairman, but they refused. I also told them that the meeting should be rescheduled to enable me convene a proper SEC meeting that will decide the way forward.”
I told them that what they were doing was null and void since the meeting was not convened by me. They rejected my submission claiming that they have the right under section 47 (6) of the PDP constitution to convene the meeting.”
He cited the recent resignation of the former National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, where the meeting to appoint his replacement was convened by the National Deputy Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, in compliance with section 45 of the PDP constitution.
Section 45 (1-4) of the PDP constitution as amended provides that: “If a national officer of the party is removed or resigns from office, he shall immediately hand over to the national secretary all records, files and other properties of the party in his or her possession.
“In the case of the national chairman, he shall hand over to the deputy national chairman who shall, without prejudice to section 45 (6) of this constitution, act as the national chairman pending the election of a replacement.
“In the case of national secretary, he shall hand over to the deputy national secretary.
“This provision shall apply mutatis mutandis to other levels of the party structure.”
Ajah maintained that the reliance on section 47 to enthrone Asogwa was unconstitutional as it did not take the whole letters and spirit of the constitution into cognisance.
In the meantime, the SEC said Abba hinged his resignation on his intention to contest the Enugu North senatorial election, his absence at the meeting appeared to confirm earlier rumours over the last two weeks that the erstwhile chairman had been flown abroad for medical attention after he reportedly suffered an ailment said to be related to stroke.
Abba was nursing a gubernatorial ambition before Chime and PDP stakeholders from Enugu North senatorial zone (Nsukka zone) adopted the member representing Igboeze North/Udenu at the National Assembly, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as the consensus governorship candidate of the party in the state.
The PDP SEC had in a statement signed by the state Publicity Secretary, Okey Eze, and made available to journalists at the end of an emergency meeting which was presided over by the state Governor, Sullivan Chime, at the weekend, premised Asogwa’s appointment on Section 47 of the PDP constitution.
However, the deputy chairman of the state chapter of the party, Aja, has described the SEC meeting and the Asogwa’s appointment as the new chairman as “illegal, null, and void” since both, according to him, did not comply with the constitution of the party.
Citing sections 35 and 45 of the party constitution, which also apply to all levels of the party, Aja argued that he, and not the state secretary of the party, was the one duly empowered to convene the SEC meeting in the event of the resignation of the chairman.
Although the SEC said it appointed Asogwa, who is from the same zone as Abba “in line with article 47 (6) of the PDP constitution,” the deputy chairman also told journalists that he was the only person constitutionally empowered to act as chairman until a substantive state chairman is elected.
He said: “I told them that under section 35 and section 45 (1), of the party’s constitution, which subsection 4 clearly states that it applies to the states chapters, if the national chairman resigns, the deputy chairman takes over, even if it is for one day, and he should be the one to convene the National Executive Committee (NEC) where a new national chairman would be elected, but they turned down my submission.
“I was sitting beside the governor and I told him that what they were doing was wrong because I am the right person to convene the meeting, but he said under section 47(1), the SEC can meet and choose another person from the same zone to replace the chairman.
“I told them that I was not complaining about who replaces the chairman, but that the procedure was wrong. I adjourned the meeting and wanted to walk out of the meeting, but a governorship aspirant asked me to sit back that it was wrong to walk out on the governor.
“As far as I am concerned, I remain the acting chairman of the party in the state until a substantive chairman is elected.”
He continued: “Most members of the committee were not present at the meeting and I felt what they were doing at the meeting was not right.
“I told them I was the right person to chair the meeting in the absence of the state chairman, but they refused. I also told them that the meeting should be rescheduled to enable me convene a proper SEC meeting that will decide the way forward.”
I told them that what they were doing was null and void since the meeting was not convened by me. They rejected my submission claiming that they have the right under section 47 (6) of the PDP constitution to convene the meeting.”
He cited the recent resignation of the former National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, where the meeting to appoint his replacement was convened by the National Deputy Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, in compliance with section 45 of the PDP constitution.
Section 45 (1-4) of the PDP constitution as amended provides that: “If a national officer of the party is removed or resigns from office, he shall immediately hand over to the national secretary all records, files and other properties of the party in his or her possession.
“In the case of the national chairman, he shall hand over to the deputy national chairman who shall, without prejudice to section 45 (6) of this constitution, act as the national chairman pending the election of a replacement.
“In the case of national secretary, he shall hand over to the deputy national secretary.
“This provision shall apply mutatis mutandis to other levels of the party structure.”
Ajah maintained that the reliance on section 47 to enthrone Asogwa was unconstitutional as it did not take the whole letters and spirit of the constitution into cognisance.
In the meantime, the SEC said Abba hinged his resignation on his intention to contest the Enugu North senatorial election, his absence at the meeting appeared to confirm earlier rumours over the last two weeks that the erstwhile chairman had been flown abroad for medical attention after he reportedly suffered an ailment said to be related to stroke.
Abba was nursing a gubernatorial ambition before Chime and PDP stakeholders from Enugu North senatorial zone (Nsukka zone) adopted the member representing Igboeze North/Udenu at the National Assembly, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as the consensus governorship candidate of the party in the state.
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