The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday dissociated itself from the newly-inaugurated state executive committee of the Ogun State chapter of the party.
The National Chairman and National Secretary of the PDP, Uche Secondus, and Senator Umaru Tsauri, respectively, made the party’s position known in a jointly-signed statement in Abuja.
The PDP national leadership said its attention was drawn to the “purported inauguration of certain unknown persons as state officers of the party in Ogun State on Friday.”
It advised members of the public, especially members of the party in Nigeria and Ogun State in particular, that the PDP had not conducted any congress for election of party officials at any level of the party: ward, local government or state in Ogun State.
The statement read in part “This is in obedience to the interim injunction order made by His Lordship, Hon. Justice Inyang Ekwo, in suit No FCT/AB/CS/208/2020 on March 4, 2020 directing the maintenance of status quo until the hearing of the notice which is still pending on account of the disruption caused by COVID-19.
“The NWC states for the benefit of emphasis that: There is only one PDP, as a political party in Nigeria whose headquarters is at Wadata Plaza, Plot 1970, Michael Okpara Street, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.
“It is the sole responsibility of the NEC/NWC of the party to conduct congresses for the elections of party leaders at all levels of the party and “No state organ or individual has such power except as may be expressly donated by the NEC/NWC and same has not been exercised with regards to Ogun State.
“We therefore advise all members of the public and appropriate institutions, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission, to ignore any purported election or inauguration of any officer of the party at any level in Ogun Staye as same is unconstitutional, null and void.”
A faction of the Ogun State chapter of the party loyal to Senator Buruji Kashamu inaugurated a new state executive of the party on Friday.
