By Andover Tyowase
The battle of supremacy in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Benue State has taken a new dimension as the leader of the party in the state and ex governor Chief Samuel Ortom, and the state party Chairman, Sir John Ngbede are at daggers drawn over who controls the party.
A statement on Monday signed by the Publicity Secretary of the Party, Chief Bemgba Iortyom announced the suspension of Sir Ngbede on allegations of forgery during the ward congress and misappropriation of funds.
Also suspended were the Secretary Joe Nyam and the Organizing Secretary Audu, while the Deputy Chairman Hon. Isaac Mffo is to act as Chairman of the party.
Conversely, another statement signed by CT Hwande, Media Consultant to the party suspended Ortom and Bemgba on allegations of anti party activities.
Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday at the party Secretariat, Ngbede insisted that he is still chairman of party, and that only the National Executive Committee of which he is a member has the power to suspend him.
On the other hand, Chief Ortom speaking through his media aide Terver Akase, said that a suspended chairman has no power to suspend him as leader of the party.
Ngbede said, ‘Who suspended me? Do they have the right to suspend me? I am a member of the National Executive of the PDP and the constitution is very clear by virtue of Section 59 sub section 2, it is only the State Executive Committee, SEC that can even suspend other members of the State Working Committee, SWC.
“The National Executive Committee has the right to suspend me so some people can’t just gather themselves, forge signatures and say they have suspended me and if they feel that suspension has become a norm, we will roll out our suspension on those who did anti party will also be suspended from the party.
‘Aside that those that claim that they are members of the SEC have resigned to contest in the next Congress that is coming up. So if you have resigned your position, how did your signature find its way into the petition they wrote to the National Secretariat. They say that they have resigned and said the Deputy Chairman will act where is he? You said the Secretary is suspended who is acting in his position? No name was mentioned. Who is acting in the position of Organizing Secretary nobody was mentioned.
“You can now see that when things are not done properly, you can pick alot of loopholes. You can’t go and sit in somebody’s house and say you suspend people; the constitution is very clear that it is the State chairman of the party that can convene meeting of the SEC. And if I fail to convene the meeting, two -third of the members can appeal to me that they need to convene the meeting. It is only when I fail to do that, that they can go ahead to do something. In this case, there was nothing, there was no discussion they just gathered somewhere in the night, have you ever heard where a SEC or SWC meeting is held in the night, they were given some stipends to announce that I have been suspended. Where was the meeting held? And the Publicity Secretary we have been covering here because his case was in court, he has been suspended from his own ward. They said I have been suspended but am still here. They have been coming here in the middle of the night to pack their things. So if they are the legitimate people why are they coming g in the night to pack their things? They are not here that means they are afraid and not with the people.
“We have a right to convene a meeting. We are an organized body. Anytime we deem it necessary. There is no development everything is normal. The LG Congress are coming up this Saturday so we have called the party chairmen to brief them about what is expected of them during the Congress. Their reason for doing all these is to push me away so that they can have their way in the next Congress because in the last Congress, we saw what happened in some areas congresses were not held and the election committee that came from Abuja indicated so thatt congresses were not held in some areas.
“That aside, we are even yet to hear from the committee and then overzealous people who did not even go to their wards took election materials somewhere to fill in names will now gather in one place to do that. The SWC suspended the former Governor and only the SEC of the party that can ratify the action. We are holding a meeting maybe we will ratify it.
“There is no crisis some of us are ready to go so that others can come. Anybody who thinks he can take the leadership of this party by force, we will resist that. The party belongs to nobody I challenge the leaders, the party belongs to the people. They want us to go back to the old order where they hijack materials we have gone past that. Allow the people feel the impact of this congresses so tht they will know that hey participate in election their executives at the ward, local and State level”.
According to Ortom, ‘the chairman, secretary and organizing Secretary have all been suspended so any meeting convened by them is null and void.
“The secretary and organizing secretary were all suspended by nine out of 13 members. Nine out of 13 is close to 90 percent and so the state chairman proceeds on one month suspension, the secretary and organizing secretary proceed on suspension and so they don’t have the power to convene meetings at whatever level or recommend any suspension.
“Ortom has not been suspended because the man who signed that suspension letter was suspended at the time he signed that letter. So, he didn’t have the powers to sign any suspension.
He said the PDP in Benue state does not have a faction. Chief Ortom is the leader of the party in the state.
The chairman, John Ngbede, who is suspended now, his suspension began yesterday and it will run for one month. In his place, the acting chairman, Mr Isaac who is the Vice Chairman now the acting chairman of the party.
“So if; the meeting of the party is to be convened, it should be in consultation with the leader of the party and that meeting will be presided over by the acting chairman of the party.
“So any meeting that is going on and is not called by Isaac Mffo is null and void. Just to add that PDP has its conflicts resolution mechanism to that is why when members erred or violate the party’s rules and regulations, they are sanctioned. So it is advised that the three suspended people avail themselves to the disciplinary panel. This things are done at all levels. Instead of trying to stifle the party they approach the disciplinary committee and explain or answer the questions.”
