ABUJA—THE reported suspension of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, and a member of the Board, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia by a faction of the party in Edo State has been nullified by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC). Two other officers of the party in the state, the State Chairman, Chief Solomon Aguele; and the Deputy Chairman, Chief Bruno Oshiokpekhai, who are loyalists of Chief Anenih, were also pronounced suspended for their role in the relocation of the party secretariat from Okada House (the property of Igbinedion family) on Urubi Street to another property on Lagos-Uselu road.
The new secretariat was commissioned last Saturday at a ceremony attended by Chief Anenih, Dr. Ogbemudia, Senators Kassim Oyofo, Oserhiemen Osunbor and a host of other party chieftains in the state to the displeasure of Governor Lucky Igbinedion, and members of his group.
Earlier, the National Chairman of the party, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had issued two contradictory letters in which he gave the go-ahead for the relocation in the first one and reversed the approval in the second one. The development had prompted last Wednesday’s meeting of a delegation led by Dr. Ogbemudia with the NWC at which the issue was looked at and final approval issued for the relocation of the state secretariat to Lagos-Uselu road, Benin City.
This set the stage for the weekend commissioning, which earned leaders of the anti-Igbinedion group the Monday suspension in the first instance by a group which the NWC yesterday described as "an unrecognised State Executive Committee headed by one Mr. Simeon Omofunwa." The group had issued the suspended leaders seven days to revert to the old secretariat or stand expelled from the party.
The NWC, at a brief meeting held yesterday in the office of the National Chairman of the party, Chief Ogbeh, declared the suspension "ultra vires, null and void," saying that disciplinary measures against national officers as Chairman of the Board of Trustees were clearly beyond the powers of the State Executive Committee.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Venatius Ikem, at the end of the meeting said: "The attention of the National Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party has been drawn to a publication in some national dailies, indicating the suspension from the party of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, and other leaders of the party. The said suspension order is alleged to have been issued by an unrecognised State Executive Committee headed by one Mr. Simeon Omofunwa over the relocation of the state secretariat of the party."
The NWC resolution came on the heels of Dr. Ogbemudia’s reaction Monday night that the purported suspension clamped on him; the Chairman of the BOT, Chief Anenih; Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Aguele; and Chief Oshokpekhai was null and void and of no effect.
Speaking on telephone with Vanguard from his Benin home, Dr. Ogbemudia said the group, which took the "illegal action" was trying to usurp the functions and powers of the State Executive Committee of the party, whereas it is not.
