Senator Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has been suspended by his ward over alleged anti-party activities.
DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS reports that his suspension comes amid ongoing internal crises within the opposition party.
This is just as the National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) dismissed the reported suspension of its Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, labeling it as unconstitutional and without merit.
Announcing the suspension after a state executive council meeting in Umuahia, the party noted that Wabara’s activities are unbecoming of a former senate president and chairman of the party’s BoT.
Chief Chizuru Kanu, the party’s Treasurer in the state in a motion which was seconded by the Organizing Secretary, Prince Obinna Okey, the Organising Secretary, the party said that Wabara declared that the state governor, Dr. Alex Otti of the Labour Party, LP, has won a second term, just five months into his first tenure.
The party alleged that Wabara had refused to apologise over the anti-party conduct despite the time given him to do so.
The state chairman further stated that in compliance with the provisions of Articles 59(1) (e) & (f) of the party’s Constitution (2017 as amended), Wabara is barred from holding any party office and also removed from office as chairman of the party’s BoT.
The party said: “As officials of People’s Democratic Party (Abia State Chapter) and members of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the Party, who jointly and severally swore to protect and defend the Party’s Constitution (2017 as amended), we invite the attention of PDP members, stakeholders to the anti-party activities of the BoT Chairman of PDP, Senator Adolphus Wabara, to the resolution of the State Working Committee/State Executive Committee, to invoke the relevant provisions of the PDP Constitution (2017 as amended) for the purposes of suspending from the party, Senator Adolphus Wabara, in line with the disciplinary procedures and guidelines and hereby unanimously resolved to State as follows:
“Our attention was drawn to a statement credited to Senator Adolphus Wabara, the BoT Chairman of PDP, in October 2023, and circulated on social media and national dailies, wherein the said Senator threw caution to the wind and in a brazen display of sabotage to the party, unilaterally endorsed the Labour Party governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, for a second term in office, barely five months after inauguration, and thereby brought the party to disrepute, hatred and/contempt, which is in violation to the provisions of Chapter 10, Article 58(c) and (f) of the Constitution of Party (2017 as amended) and therefore liable to punishment under Article 59(1) of the Party’s Constitution;
“Article 58(1) and Article 59(1) of the PDP Constitution (2017 as amended) empowers the State Executive Committee, SEC, to discipline any member of the Party, who commits any offence(s) provided by the Party’s constitution, irrespective of the members status;
“Article 24(1)(v) of the same Constitution confers membership of the State Executive Committee (SEC) on the said BoT Chairman, as a former principal officer of the National Assembly, the said Senator being a former Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which he became under the platform of the Party;
“The unappealed Federal High Court judgement sitting in Ebonyi State, in Suit No. FHC/A1/CS/182/2024 Hon. OVUTA HERBERT ONYEDIKACHI & 2 ORS AND Chief ALI ODEFA & 2 ORS delivered on 29/11/2024, had declared unconstitutional and a breach of the principles of natural justice, equity and good conscience, the purported provision of Articles 57(7) and 59(3) of the PDP Constitution (2017 as amended, which hitherto purportedly clothed the Senator with some molecule of immunity, from being sanctioned on disciplinary grounds by the State Executive Committee;
“The said Senator Adolphus Wabara has refused, failed and neglected to refute the said statement credited to him and circulated on social media and National dailies, since October 2023, despite repeated outcries, demands and notices to show cause why disciplinary sanctions should not be meted on him;
“The actions and inactions of Senator Adolphus Wabara have undermined the credibility of the PDP, demoralised party members /stakeholders and emboldened the opposition and gravely constitute gross anti party activity and conduct;
“The need to ensure discipline amongst party members across board, irrespective of status cannot be over emphasized;
“Consequent upon the far-reaching implications of Senator Adolphus Wabara’s acts of sabotage against the party, the SEC hereby invokes the provisions of Articles 57(1),(2),(3), 58(1)(b) & (f) and 59(1) of the party’s Constitution (2017 as amended) against Senator Adolphus Wabara and hereby places him on suspension from party activities.
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP argued that the suspension violated its Constitution (as amended in 2017) and failed to follow due process.
According to the statement, “No State Working Committee has the power to suspend or take disciplinary action against a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party without due recourse to the NWC, as clearly provided under Section 57 (7) of the PDP Constitution.”
However, the NWC cited Section 57 (7) of the party’s Constitution, which explicitly states that only the NEC has the authority to discipline its members, including Deputy Governors and National Assembly members.
By this provision, the PDP maintained that the state chapter lacked the authority to suspend Wabara, reinforcing that his suspension was null and void.
The party condemned the action as unconstitutional and warned those behind it to withdraw their decision or face disciplinary consequences.
