10th November, 2013
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) has appointed Nasir Isa Abubakar as a replacement for Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the national secretary of the group.
By a court of appeal verdict last week, Oyinlola won back his position as the secretary of the main PDP led by Bamanga Tukur. Although President Goodluck Jonathan has told the party to respect the decision of the Appeal Court, the victory is being challenged, with elements within the party vowing to take the case to the Supreme Court.
A statement by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the publicity secretary of the New PDP, said the group has also set up a six-man Reception Organising Committee to set in motion the reception of the five new Governors of the PDP who have decided to join the faction of the party.
According to Eze, the Committee is headed by Dr. Sam Jaja, now the group’s National Vice Chairman of. Other members are , Nasir Isa Abubakar, who is now group’s Secretary, Engr. Abubakar G. Umar, the National Treasurer; Hon. Binta Masi Garba, the Women Leader; Mr. Timi Frank, the Youth Leader; and Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the National Public Secretary.
The Committee will advise on the venue, logistics and modalities for receiving the five Governors, ex-Governors, Nationalists and key members of the National Assembly who have indicated interest to join the group.
Eze said his group is rooting for Oyinlola to regain his seat as the secretary of the main PDP.
The statement pleaded with Oyinlola to ensure that the impunity in PDP becomes something of the past.
” The party after considering the expert opinion of the Legal Adviser, Barr. Eric Opia, decided that Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola does not need any other oath of office to return to work as PDP National Secretary as he subscribed to PDP’s oath of office alongside other members of the NWC that were sworn-in at the Eagle Square on March 24, 2012. According to the legal expert, the import of the verdict by the appellate court, which did not attach any condition to its ruling, is that Oyinlola is the validly elected PDP National Secretary. That has also been the position of INEC which monitored the National Convention of PDP held on March 24, 2012. As things stand, Oyinlola remains the National Secretary of PDP and only the Supreme Court can reverse that decision. The nPDP NWC is therefore of the view that Prince Oyinlola should resume office immediately without waiting for any directive from any quarters. Any other person who parades himself as the National Secretary of PDP should be committed to prison for contempt of court.”
The group’s NWC commended the G7 for their efforts to brief elders about the crisis in the party. It also commended the initiative of the National Security Adviser to President Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki, to further broker peace amongst the G7 Governors, PDP and the Presidency “knowing the implication of the continued crisis on governance and the security of the nation”.
“The NSA has once again by this act demonstrated that he is a statesman unlike some of the hawks in the Presidency who prefer that the crisis in the party continues. These hawks are deceiving Mr. President into thinking that they love him more than those in the nPDP while they are actually engineering his political misfortune.”
” NWC commended the nPDP leadership, including both the Caucus and NWC members, for turning the party into the beautiful bride of Nigerian politics in view of the fact that we hold the key to decide the next President of Nigeria come 2015. The NWC considered other options in case our talks with President Jonathan fail to produce the desired result and concluded that our door should be opened to the APC option, while not ruling out other options that would give us the leverage in reshaping the polity come 2015.”