Afrigather Chimaroke Nnamani, a former governor of Enugu State, has described his expulsion from the Peoples’ Democratic Celebration (PDP) as null, insisting that he nonetheless stays a bonafide member of the occasion.
The PDP’s Nationwide Working Committee (NWC) expelled him and some others on Friday for anti-party actions.
Hours after the transfer, the senator representing Enugu East Senatorial Constituency launched a press assertion through which he insisted that his expulsion didn’t observe due course of and was, subsequently, null. He insisted that apart from not following “due course of and strict compliance with the provisions of the PDP Structure,” the NWC “lacked the powers to droop or expel him as a member of the Nationwide Meeting.”
Quoting Articles 57(7) and 59(3), Senator Nnamani via his Counsel Olusegun O. Jolaawo SAN said that the NWC has no powers to droop or expel him besides the Nationwide Government Committee (NEC).
Learn additionally: PDP suspends Chimaroke Nnamani, Chris Ogbu, Ayeni Funso, others
“It’s evident on the premise of Articles 57(7) and 59(3) of the Structure of your occasion, excerpted above, that no organ of the occasion, together with the Nationwide Working Committee, has the competence to entertain any query of self-discipline in opposition to our consumer besides the Nationwide Government Committee of the occasion,” Senator Nnamani mentioned.
“Fairly aside from the apparent and indisputable fact that the purported continuing of the Nationwide Working Committee of your occasion held on 20 January 2023 and the choice reached there at, suspending our consumer from the occasion is null and void, as our consumer was neither invited to the assembly nor given the chance to be heard earlier than the choice in opposition to him was taken; See Article 57(6) of the Structure of your occasion, the Nationwide Working Committee lacks the requisite powers to entertain any query of self-discipline in opposition to our consumer to the extent of suspending or expelling him from the occasion.
“The continuing and resolution reached on the assembly of the Nationwide Working Committee of your occasion, which was held on 20 January 2023, is subsequently each unlawful and a nullity.
“It, subsequently, provides us nice concern, that your proposed disciplinary listening to of 8 February 2023 as said in your letter of 1st February 2023, is constructed and erected on the unlawful and invalid assembly and resolution taken by the Nationwide Working Committee of your Celebration at its assembly of 20 January 2023, suspending our consumer from the Celebration. Your letter to our consumer dated 1st February 2023 made it abundantly clear that the criticism in opposition to our consumer was made to your committee by the Nationwide Working Committee,” the assertion learn.
Beneath is an excerpt of the press launch:
Sen Nnamani to Ayu led NWC: My Purported Expulsion a nullity
You don’t have any energy to take action
Enugu East Senator Dr Chimaroke Nnamani has pointedly instructed Senator Iyorchia Ayu led Nationwide Working Committee(NWC) of the Individuals’s Democratic Celebration(PDP) that it has no powers to droop or expel him from the occasion.
Senator Nnamani said that the Ayu-led NWC didn’t observe due course of and strict compliance with the provisions of the PDP Structure and subsequently lacked the powers to droop or expel him as a member of the Nationwide Meeting.
Senator Nnamani in a letter to the PDP NWC via his Counsel Olusegun O. Jolaawo SAN said that the NWC has no powers to droop or expel him besides the Nationwide Government Committee ( NEC).
He quoted copiously the related sections of the PDP structure breached by the Ayu-led NWC:
Article 57(7) “However some other provision referring to self-discipline, no Government Committee at any degree, besides the Nationwide Government Committee, shall entertain any query of self-discipline as might or concern a member of the Nationwide Government Committee, Deputy Governors or members of the Nationwide Meeting, Offered that nothing on this Structure shall preclude or invalidate any criticism submitted via the Nationwide Working Committee to the Nationwide Government Committee regarding any individual in anyway.”
Article 59(3)“However some other provision of this Structure referring to self-discipline, no Government Committee at any degree besides the Nationwide Government Committee shall entertain any query of self-discipline as might relate or concern a member of the Nationwide Government Committee, President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Ambassadors, Particular Advisers or member of any of the legislative homes.”
“ On 20 January 2023, the NWC carried out a preliminary disciplinary listening to in opposition to our consumer and authorised his suspension from the occasion for one month, purportedly appearing pursuant to Article 57(3) of the Structure of the PDP.
“It’s evident on the premise of Articles 57(7) and 59(3) of the Structure of your occasion excerpted above, that no organ of the occasion, together with the Nationwide Working Committee, has the competence to entertain any query of self-discipline in opposition to our consumer, besides the Nationwide Government Committee of the occasion.
“Fairly aside from the apparent and indisputable fact that the purported continuing of the Nationwide Working Committee of your occasion held on 20 January 2023 and the choice reached there at, suspending our consumer from the occasion is null and void, as our consumer was neither invited to the assembly nor given the chance to be heard earlier than the choice in opposition to him was taken; See Article 57(6) of the Structure of your occasion, the Nationwide Working Committee lacks the requisite powers to entertain any query of self-discipline in opposition to our consumer to the extent of suspending or expelling him from the occasion.
“The continuing and resolution reached on the assembly of the Nationwide Working Committee of your Celebration which was held on 20 January 2023 is subsequently, each unlawful and a nullity.
“It, subsequently, provides us nice concern, that your proposed disciplinary listening to of 8 February 2023 as said in your letter of 1st February 2023, is constructed and erected on the unlawful and invalid assembly and resolution taken by the Nationwide Working Committee of your Celebration at its assembly of 20 January 2023, suspending our consumer from the Celebration. Your letter to our consumer dated 1st February 2023 made it abundantly clear that the criticism in opposition to our consumer was made to your committee by the Nationwide Working Committee.
“ Nevertheless, by advantage of the proviso to Article 57(7) of the Structure of your Celebration, the Nationwide Working Committee is required to make the criticism on any disciplinary matter in opposition to a member of the Nationwide Meeting, solely to the Nationwide Government Committee of the Celebration. Your committee has not claimed to be the Nationwide Government Committee of the PDP and in reality, will not be.
“Your committee, subsequently, has no powers beneath the Structure of the Celebration (beneath which you declare to be continuing in opposition to our consumer) to entertain or hear any query of self-discipline in opposition to our consumer as he’s a member of the Nationwide Meeting. Solely a correctly constituted Nationwide Government Committee of the occasion can entertain such query of self-discipline in opposition to him.
“We, subsequently, urge you to rethink your proposed disciplinary listening to in opposition to our consumer and abort it instantly. We’ve got solely requested your committee to conform strictly with the clear provisions of the Structure of the Celebration beneath which you declare to be continuing. Your proposed disciplinary listening to of 8 February 2023 is wholly erected on illegality and your committee equally has no powers beneath the Structure of the occasion to ask our consumer for the aim of entertaining any disciplinary matter in opposition to him.
Senator Chimaroke Nnamani MD, FACOG
Chairman, Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa/ NEPAD.
ENDS
