Attack on democracy: PDP rejects emergency rule in Rivers

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost its new national secretariat located at the Central Area, Abuja, as well as Wadata Plaza, to a revocation exercise by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.

Consequently, the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP was summoned to a meeting by the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, over the revocation order, reports The Guardian.

Meanwhile, Rivers State chapter of PDP, yesterday, threatened to expel Wike if the political crisis engulfing the state continued unabated. A letter signed on behalf of the FCT Minister by the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, tagged ‘Notice of Revocation of Right of Occupancy with file number MISC 81346 in respect of Plot number 243 within Central Area District, Abuja’ addressed to the acting National Chairman, made it clear that the revocation was done given the party’s breach of the terms and conditions of the grant of the Right of Occupancy.

The PDP secretariat building, which was initially estimated to cost N16 billion, has reached an advanced stage before it was abandoned when the party lost control of the Federal Government in 2015.

But after raising over N62 billion through fundraising and the sale of forms over four election cycles, the 12-storey project remains an unfulfilled ambition for the party.

In 2008, the party’s fourth National Chairman, Ahmadu Ali, initiated plans for the construction of a suitable new secretariat. The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, described the revocation order as “a drive towards totalitarianism and attempt to stifle opposition”.

Ologunagba, who disclosed that the order also extended to the temporary and permanent offices, noted that the move is a threat to democracy. He said, “The attempt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government to revoke the Right of Occupancy of the National Secretariat of the PDP is highly condemnable. It is a threat to democracy.

“To let you know how despicable this action is, it is both the new one under construction and the one the PDP has been occupying for almost two decades, the Wadata Plaza. It is an attempt to stifle opposition.”

Rivers PDP alleged that the former governor had committed several anti-party activities and that the various organs of the party should not hesitate to commence a process of either suspending or expelling him from the party.

During a briefing in Port Harcourt, the acting state chairman of the PDP, Robinson Ewor, also dismissed the Supreme Court ruling that Martins Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers did not defect from the party to APC.

Ewor said: “Supreme Court made three essential orders. At this stage, the Supreme Court erred in law. The FCT minister is in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu and you know no man can serve two masters. Even the Bible says, you will satisfy one, you won’t satisfy the other one.

“Because Wike is serving in the government of Tinubu, there is no way his loyalty will be in PDP anymore. His 100 per cent loyalty is to APC. What constitutes anti-party activity is that if you take action that brings the party to disrepute. That is anti-party activity. The FCT minister has taken several actions that have brought the PDP to disrepute.”

The party, he added, will act at the appropriate time. “You know the challenge Wike created in this state for us as a party. The day we properly take over the party in the state, we will discipline Wike for anti-party including suspension or expelling him from the party,” Ewor said.

He stated the position of the party on the defection: “Martins Amaewhule and co defected from the PDP to the APC. He announced on the floor of the House of Assembly. He was deposed to the affidavit in Abuja High Court. Supreme Court erred in law. Amaewhule and 26 others are not members of our party.”