The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is often called the grand-norm of a country. From the the Constitution, other laws emanated. Even an act of the national assembly (NASS) must align itself with the Constitution, otherwise, such act will be null and void. Associations like political parties have their own law which must not offend the spirit of the Constitution.
The founding fathers of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) upon its formation, gave themselves Constitution, that regulates their activity. This rule book spelt out how various offices in the party must be shared (zoned). The decision making organs of the party and their roles properly spelt out. The party has been abiding by their Constitution without problems. Things however, changed dramatically in 2023, during the Presidential primary election of the party. The leadership of the party showed open nepotism, disregard for their law, rules of engagement. Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, a candidate was badly cheated in the said primary election. He nevertheless accepted the outcome of the flawed election, but appealed to the actors who thought themselves “untouchable” to respect the constitution of the party and do the needful. His appeal however, fell on deaf ears as nobody was willing to listen to his voice of reason.
When Wike and other like minds in the party discovered that their appeal was a waste of time, they formed the famous G5 – group of five governors to work against the Presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 Presidential election. Expectedly, Atiku lost in that election.
With the sacking of the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, by the court, an Acting Chairman, took over in accordance with the stipulation of the constitution of the party. The Chairman, Iliya Damagun, instead of steering the party to the path of rule of law, elected to embark on dubious rule of Stakeholders (group of people loyal to him and his paymasters). The first notable thing he did was to start witch-hunting the Secretary of PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, just because he is a friend of Wike.
Through their dubious Stakeholders arrangement, they brought one Ude-Okoye as the new Secretary of the party, from South East (SE). Even the constitution of the party is very clear on how an officer can be replaced. Samuel Anyanwu is from Imo State, if for any reason, he must be replaced, the person replacing him must come from Imo State because of the long standing zoning arrangement in the party. But what Iliya Damagun, on the prompting of his paymasters, did was to hand-pick Ude-Okoye, from Enugu State as the new Secretary, contrary to express provision of the constitution of the party. Iliya Damagun probably forgot that he was a product of PDP’s constitution. It is very clear in the party’s constitution that if a substantive Chairman resigned before the expiration of his tenure, someone from the where he comes from, will step into his shoes.
Damagun-led PDP, a clear product of PDP’s law, elected to throw the constitution of the party away, in the case of Ude-Okoye.
The lawless characters parading themselves as leaders of the party, in line with the their crooked way of thinking, thought that the Supreme Court had finally given them the opportunity to “deal” with their enemies in PDP. The Apex Court, its ruling on Samuel Anyanwu’s case, pointedly called Ude-Okoye a meddlesome interloper and an impostor.
The court held that he is not the Secretary of PDP, and can never be. The court told PDP that it cannot determine for the party who their leader should be. Apparently, telling them to go and act in accordance with the provisions of their constitution, in determining who should be Secretary of the party.
Senator Samuel Anyanwu, being the Acting Secretary, can only be removed through the convention of PDP. In their desperation to remove anyone that has affinity with Nyesom Ezenwo Wike in PDP, for reason(s) best known to them, they tried forgery induced suspension, and all sorts of illegal things in the name of erroneous belief that the Supreme Court said it is the party that determines its leaders, not the court. What they failed to understand is that the Apex Court never told them to discard PDP’s constitution in regulating their internal affair. In their desperate bid to lord over everyone in the party, the constitution of PDP became nothing to them.
Their stock in trade is, “the stakeholders in PDP have agreed to do this and to do that”. You can never hear anyone of them say, “we have done this and that, in accordance with the provisions of constitution of PDP”
The latest in their lawless activities is the removal of the legal adviser of the party and replacing him with Chris Uche (SAN) who was one of the lawyers that represented Atiku Abubakar at the Presidential election petition tribunal in 2023
The most annoying thing here is that Chris Uche (SAN) is a brilliant lawyer who knows the law very well, and in a gilt-edged position to insist on the right thing to be done, in replacing a sitting legal adviser. The constitution of PDP is very clear on who should takeover if the substantive legal adviser, is removed by the party.
Bode George, has been calling the National Judicial Council (NJC) to sanction justice Omotosho for daring to stop the November convention of PDP. According to Bode George, Omotosho interfered in PDP’s internal affair, contrary to a standing supreme Court judgment against that. But the same Bode George has not told us if Supreme Court, in the judgment that says the party should regulate its affairs, annualed the constitution of PDP and gave them express ticket to do what they like.
Arising from Jemes Omotosho’s ruling on the convention of PDP, Damagun and his group, went to a court in Oyo state, to secure an experte order for the convention to go on.
Meanwhile, James Omotosho, in his judgment, asked the party to put its house in order before going to any convention. It did not impose any group in the dispute on the party, which is consistent with the earlier judgment of the Supreme Court on non- imposition of leadership in a party.
As at the last count, two sharp factions have emerged in PDP. One of the factions is Rule of Stakeholders, and the other is Rule of Law faction.
One thing this writer knows for sure is that rule of law will always take precedent over rule of forgery induced stakeholders!!!
–
Emeka Oraetoka, is an Information and Perception Management Consultant.
Wrote in from Abuja.
E-mail: giltsdaimension@gmail.com.
