PDP may expel Baraje, Oyinlola others over failure to appear before disciplinary committee

There are indications that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may expel its breakaway members, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Sam Sam Jaja, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ibrahim Kazaure, if they fail to appear before the Umaru Dikko-led National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) on Wednesday.

Recall that the quartet, who are leaders of the splinter faction of the party, were two weeks ago suspended from the party by the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee (NWC).

The party, last Wednesday invited them to appear before the NDC over charges of “anti-party activities.”

But the suspended chieftains said they would not honour the summon, on grounds that the committee was illegally constituted, as the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has not met to ratify its composition as stipulated in the PDP constitution.

The New PDP is also insisting that the party recognize Oyinlola as the party’s National Secretary after a Court of Appeal overturned the previous order by Justice Kafarati of an Abuja High Court.

Spokesman of the faction, Chukwuemeka Eze, in a statement after last week invitation to its leaders, said “The committee is an illegality and alien to PDP and its members.

“It is not our intention to confer legitimacy on such an illegal contraption by self-serving politicians intent on destroying a house the building of which they were not a party.

“As clearly spelt out in the PDP Constitution, the Disciplinary Committee can only be operational when the National Executive Committee (NEC) of PDP sits and approves it.

“In the absence of any such approval by the PDP NEC, whatever function the committee is deemed to be performing, is null and void.

“In other words, asking great personalities such as Alhaji Baraje, Prince Oyinlola, Dr. Jaja and Ambassador Kazaure to appear before the Dikko Committee is an insult and an attempt to past through the back door to confer undeserved creditability on this illegal contraption”.

Sources however say the PDP may expel all four members, except they secure an injunction, restraining the Committee from sitting.

A decision on this option is expected to be taken on Thursday at a meeting that may be called by the Tukur-led NWC.

In the meantime, members loyal to the presidency have been holding strategic meetings with a view to fine-tuning how to go about severe punishment for Baraje and co.

One of such was held at the home of a staunch supporter of the National Chairman in Abuja on Friday.

Meanwhile, PDP has been warned ‘’to tread slowly in order not to render superior courts toothless’’ in its current attempts to enforce disciplinary actions against Oyinlola, Baraje, Dr Jaja and Kazaure, who have all been accused of violating some provisions of the PDP constitution.

In a letter dated November 21, addressed to Tukur, signed by Awa Kalu (SAN), representing Oyinlola and others, the counsel informed the National Chairman and PDP that he had instructions of the four invited to appear before the disciplinary panel on Wednesday to act on their behalf in the matter under reference.

‘’Our instruction is that notwithstanding pending litigations, the distinguished party, of which you are the national chairman, intends to put machinery in motion aimed at making mockery of the Judicial process and thus the Rule of Law’.

“May we respectfully inform you that Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/774/13, (Prince Oyinlola and 3 others vs PDP and another) is presently pending in Court No 6 of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

“In addition, there is a pending appeal at the Supreme Court, arising from the Court of Appeal Suit No CA/A/84/2013 (Chief Adebayo Dayo & Another vs Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola & 2 Others) in which the Court of Appeal dealt with the subject matter of your intended disciplinary proceedings.

“It is on the basis of the above that we urge you to tread slowly in order not to render superior courts toothless,” Kalu said.