We Are Surprised at Our Suspension, as Notice to Meet With Party Leadership Came Late to Us – Elumelu

ABUJA/Nigeria: The Suspended members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the House of Representatives, had described their suspension by by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), as surprising and haste as the notice of meeting came late Thursday when they had travelled out of the city of Abuja.

Speaking on the reported suspension, the Minority Leader, Hon Ndudi Elumelu on behalf other suspended members, said that he asked one of his aides to inform the party in writing about their inability to attend the meeting.

The NWC under the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus had on Friday hinged its decision on the alleged refusal of Elumelu, and other PDP lawmakers to appear before the committee on Friday morning at the Wadata House. But the Minority Leader said he and his colleagues got the invitation to appear before the party late on Thursday by which time, he, the Deputy Minority Leader, the Minority Whip, the Deputy Minority Whip and all other lawmakers invited had travelled out of Abuja.

Even at that, Elumelu said out of the respect he has for the party, he instructed his Special Assistant to notify the party in writing, conveying their inability to honour the party’s invitation as directed. However, as obedient and loyal party members, the Minority Leader said they had asked the NWC for another date to appear before it only for the party to hastily suspend them, in flagrant contravention of the principles of fair hearing.

Hon Elumelu said he and his colleagues selected to lead the opposition parties in the House of Representatives didn’t contravene the laws regulating the selection of members into leadership positions and wondered why his party suspends them from the party they have strengthened over the years.

The Minority Leader noted that their selection as leaders by their colleagues of the minority parties was in strict compliance with Order 7, Rule 8 of the House of Representatives.

He said:    “As loyal party members, we had thought that the PDP NWC would have availed us the opportunity of fair hearing, robust and constructive engagements before taking such drastic action on elected representatives who have over years, strengthened and  protected the corporate interest of the party and Nigeria in general.

“We have become good ambassadors of the PDP and we don’t deserve this kind of treatment. Our alleged suspension negates the spirit and letter of fair hearing which is at the heart of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution and extant laws of the land. We love PDP and we are ready to meet with the party leadership as we have no other party to call our own than the PDP.

“We therefore call on the NWC to rescind its decision of suspending us, in the interest of the PDP, the National Assembly and Nigeria as a whole.”