Senate Majority Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, has urged the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to immediately dissolve the Cross River State working committee of the party and appoint an interim one in its place.
In a petition he wrote to the PDP National Chairman, Ahmed Adamu Mu’azu, the Senate leader also asked that “the National Working Committee (NWC) takes over forthwith all other processes relating to the outstanding aspects of our timetable.”
Tagged “Let the right things be done” and dated November 10, 2015, the petition asked the PDP national leadership to set up a committee to investigate allegations of anti-party activities against the chairman of the Cross River PDP chapter, Ntufam John Okon.
Ndoma-Egba, in the petition, also faulted his suspension from the party by the state chapter of the PDP, accusing the state PDP chairman of scuttling the national delegate election, which was supposed to have taken place last Saturday.
The Senate leader’s petition alleged that the first step taken to scuttle the national delegate election was the sealing of the state PDP secretariat over the weekend.
On his suspension from the party, the Ndoma-Egba wrote: “On Friday, November 7, 2014, while attending to my official duties in Abuja, I received phone calls from Cross River State informing me that the Cross River Radio was announcing my purported suspension from the PDP, a statement credited to the State Chairman, Ntufam John Okon.
“It was, however, to be that somebody unknown to the constitution of our party had recommended me to the NWC for suspension.
“Till this moment, I have neither been formally informed of the purported decision of the state chapter nor have I been notified of my alleged offences to warrant any disciplinary action against me. There is definitely no allegation the state chapter can make against me.”
The petition continued: “It is obvious that the state chairman is clearly disappointed by the outcome of November 1, 2014 ward congresses in Cross River State followed by his ineptitude in not taking advantage of the appeal process already put in place by the party.
“To demonstrate his frustrations, he detained members of the panel that came to conduct the November 8, 2014 national delegates’ election to prevent them from conducting the exercise; though the panel was willing and the 18 local council chapters were ready for the congress.
“To compound their frustration, the state party headquarters was sealed up by a contingent of armed soldiers and policemen led by the state Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey.
“As a result of the actions of the state chairman and the state Security Adviser, President and Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR), has been denied delegates for his nomination from Cross River State.”
“Your Excellency will recall that I had endorsed a copy of my letter to the state chairman of September 9, 2014 to your goodself. A copy of the letter is enclosed for your convenience.
“In that letter, I had accused the chairman of clannishness, partisanship, fascism and pursuing a personal agenda at the expense of the party. The situation has since got worse as Ntufam John Okon is killing the party.
“Our luck is that Cross Riverians across party lines and shades are resolved to support Mr. President. This support is not predicated on any individual. The Chairman has become lawless and has no regard whatsoever for the party’s constitution and his activities can only reinforce resentment and revolt against his leadership.
“He has become a burden on the party. You can confirm this by commissioning an independent inquiry into the state of affairs of the party in the state.
“In the light of the above, I pray the NWC to:
• Dissolve the Cross River State working committee of the party and appoint an interim committee forthwith; and
• The NWC takes over forthwith all other processes relating to the outstanding aspects of our timetable.”
