Plateau PDP faction suspends Dariye, Lar
- National body voids sanction on Anenih, Ogbemudia
From Isa Abdulsalami, Jos and John-Abba Ogbodo, Abuja
A FACTION of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State, yesterday announced the suspension of the state Governor Joshua Chibi Dariye and the party's first national chairman, Chief Solomon Lar.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party yesterday, however, voided a similar action by a faction in its Edo State chapter.
The NWC nullified the suspension of the party's Board of Trustees chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, and a party elder, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia.
Also suspended by the Plateau State PDP faction are Mr. Maichibi Vwarji and Ambassador Yahaya Kwande.
Vwarji is the state PDP chairman recognised by the national chairman of the party, Chief Audu Ogbeh, while Kwande was Dariye's strong supporter during the six-`month emergency rule declared by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
But in a swift reaction, Vwarji described the suspension as a huge joke.
Addressing a press conference yesterday in the midst of supporters at the former Alliance for Democracy (AD) office, close to the old party secretariat, the chairman of the faction, Alhaji Habu Shindai, who was removed as chairman by Dariye, also gave those who are suspended up to Saturday, December 18, to appear before a disciplinary committee to be set up at the faction's new party secretariat.
Shindai warned that failure to do so would be met with the necessary penalties under the party's constitutional.
Shindai, in his text, said that he decided to maintain a dignified silence during the period that the state was under an emergency rule declared by the Federal Government.
"This was not because all was well with the rank and file of the party I so much cherish but which suffered great bashing in the hands of some forces that wanted to run it as a private estate or family affair," he contended.
According to him, his silence during the emergency rule was his contribution to the promotion of the peace because, according to him, he is a lover of peace.
Shindai narrated his experience before the declaration of the state of emergency in the state.
"It might interest you to know that just before the declaration of the state of emergency, I went through various forms of unprovoked humiliation. All forms of tricks and manipulations were employed to unconstitutionally and illegally remove me from office as the state chairman of our great party.
"I was severally assaulted and scornfully removed from the seat reserved for state chairman at public functions and mocked at on the prompting of Governor Dariye and Vwarji, the latter being who, due to his vaulting ambition and amateurish behaviour as my deputy, wanted to unseat me," Shindai explained.
He added that he would have taken the law into his hands but he said he allowed maturity, reason and good counsel to prevail, as he believed that two wrongs do not make a right.
According to him, "it is most unthinkable that an elected governor, who has sworn to defend the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that of the party under which he was elected, could wantonly apply the principles of divide-and-rule which could lead to unpleasant consequences."
He added that as if the state had not had enough of blood bath, instability and breakdown of law and order, the governor went ahead to remove him by fiat without any recourse to the laid down procedures.
Shindai said that he has decided to relocate his office to a new and more spacious one along the same Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos.
He urged President Olusegun Obasanjo to remove the Ministry of Agriculture from the national chairman's portfolio so that he could concentrate fully on party affairs.
Responding to the suspension announcement, the other faction's state chairman, Vwarji referred to the Shindai-led faction as people with disgruntled mind that decamped from AD.
"These are people who are in AD who thought there was going to be an election after the state of emergency, then later on decamped to PDP. And when the state of emergency was lifted, then they fell like going back," Vwarji remarked.
According to him, the constitution of the party is clear; adding that whoever goes contrary to the provisions of the constitution will be suspended.
"The party is yet to investigate to know who and who are involved and the persons will be dealt with according to the party's constitution. Other information can be found out from the national secretariat to know who is that illegal person operating an illegal office," he asserted.
"Our office is not a factional office. This is a PDP state secretariat. The PDP is ready to discipline the dissidents whenever we find out who are those involved in the activities," Vwarji added.
"All of you (journalists) were around. I was the person who received them into PDP when the national chairman was here. I carried all their hands and gave them to the national chairman," he stated.
Among those present at the press conference were Ambassadors Fidelis Tapgun and Bagudu Hirse, Hon. Isa Song and Alhaji Yakubu Gambo.
Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Air Commodore Jonah Jang (rtd), Hon. Damishi Sango, Gen. John Shagaya and Mrs. Paulen Talen, a former minister, also sent goodwill messages.
The NWC of the party yesterday voided the purported suspension of Chief Anenih and Dr. Ogbemudia by its Edo State faction.
A statement by its national publicity secretary Venatius Ikem at the end of the NWC meeting yesterday said that the national leadership would continue to recognise the state executive committee headed by Solomon Aguele since no congress had been held to dissolve it.
A faction of the party in the state had on Monday announced the suspension of the trio and the Edo North leader Chief Bruno Oshiokpekhai over alleged anti-party activities. The meeting was presided over by the state governor Lucky Igbinedion.
But the NWC said in a statement yesterday: "Disciplinary measures against national officers such as chairman of the Board of Trustees is clearly beyond the powers of the executive committee."
It continued: "Pronouncements of suspension or expulsions on such officers can only be valid if they are carried out by the national executive committee or the national convention. The said convention is therefore ultra vires, null and void."
The NWC also said that the relocation of the state secretariat to a new location was endorsed by the national secretariat and warned those fighting the recognised executive to desist from their actions or face appropriate disciplinary actions."`
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