By Moses IDIKA
The attention of members and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State has been drawn to a Facebook post made by the National Publicity Secretary of our great party, Mr. Debo Ologunagba whereby he made fake and unverifiable claims about the replacement of the expelled erstwhile National Vice Chairman of the PDP, Southeast zone, Mr. Ali Odefa.
Recall that Mr. Ali Odefa was initially suspended from the party on September 4, 2024 by the Executive Committee of Oguduokwor Ward, his ward. The suspension was later upheld by the by the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abakaliki in suit No: FHC/AI/CS/182/2024. The judgement delivered on November 29, 2024 by Honourable Justice Hilary I. O. Oshomah was very explicit and explanatory of the subsequent status of Mr. Ali Odefa as far as Ebonyi State PDP is concerned.
The court explicitly ruled:
“That by the combined provisions of Articles 57 (3), 58 and 59 (1) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (as amended in 2017), the 1st Defendant viz: Chief Ali Odefa cannot properly and lawfully continue to enjoy the rights and privileges accorded to members of the 2nd Defendant [PDP] and also continue to remain in office as the National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party for the Southeast zone of Nigeria, and as well exercise and enjoy the powers , rights, and perquisite benefits of the said office in any manner whatsoever during the lifetime of his suspension.”
“That by the combined provisions of Articles 57(3), 58 and 59(1) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (as amended in 2017), the 1st defendant viz: Chief Ali Odefa cannot validly hold or continue to hold the office of the National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party for the Southeast zone of Nigeria or any other office for that matter during the lifetime of his suspension.”
Consequent upon his earlier valid suspension, Mr. Odefa was later expelled from the party by the Oguduokwor Ward executives after the erstwhile NVC was found culpable by the party’s Ward disciplinary Committee.
Upon the expulsion of Mr. Odefa, leaders of the PDP in Ebonyi State unanimously selected the Zonal Youth Leader of the party, Hon. Chidiebere Goodluck Egwu as a replacement to serve out the remaining weeks of Mr. Odefa’s tenure as the National Vice Chairman of the PDP Southeast Zone.
The instruments nominating Hon. Chidiebere Goodluck Egwu to the appropriate authorities of the PDP National Working Committee, including the Acting National Chairman, the National Secretary among others.
It is, therefore, very unfortunate that Mr. Ologunagba in his Facebook post hinged his statement on a section of the constitution of the PDP that the court has already declared a nullity for its inconsistency with the Grundnorm of law in Nigeria, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
Ologunagba in Facebook post had said, “For emphasis, Section 57(7) of the Constitution of the PDP is clear in providing that “Notwithstanding any other provision relating to discipline, no Executive Committee at any level, except the National Executive Committee, shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, Deputy Governors or members of the National Assembly.””
Curiously, Mr. Ologunagba conveniently ignored and deliberately left out the fact that Honourable Justice Hilary I. O, Oshomah of the Federal High Court Abakaliki while ruling on Suit No: No: FHC/AI/CS/182/2024 in the matter between Hon. Ovuta Herbert Onyedikachi (Acting Chairman PDP, Oguduokwor, Onicha LGA), Hon. Emmanuel Uzor (Acting Chairman, PDP Onicha LGA), Hon. Mrs. Ede Uzoamaka (Acting Secretary PDP, Onicha LGA) VS Chief Ali Odefa; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has already laid to rest Article 57(7) of the PDP constitution in the graveyard of byelaw brigandage. The court has already ruled inter alia:
“That the provisions of Articles 57(7) and 59 (3) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party 2017 (as amended) are inconsistent with section 36 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , 1999 (as amended)and therefore contrary to the legal principle viz; nemo judex in causa sus (no one should be a judge in his own case) and the time-honoured legal principle of natural justice, equity and good conscience.
“That the combined provisions of article 57 (3), 58 and 59 (1) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (as amended in 2017) and section 82 of the Electoral Act 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission cannot legally recognise, Conduct any official business, or relate with the 1st defendant viz: Chief Ali Odefa as the National Vice Chairman, South East Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party in any manner whatsoever during the tenure of his suspension as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party concerning the affairs of the 2nd defendant.”
It is, in actual fact, a contemptuous jaywalking on the part of Mr. Ologunagba to want to use his access to PDP official Facebook page to mislead the Nigerian public.
Although, we are not surprised that Mr. Ologunagba has resorted to facebooking as the National Publicity Secretary of the party- he knows no better. As the spokesman of the Nigeria’s main opposition political party, Mr. Ologunagba holds the undisputed prize as the laziest, most ineffective and unsuited for that exalted position that should ordinarily be the mouthpiece of the oppressed and misgoverned people of Nigeria. Ologunagba has never been seen confronting issues bedeviling the party or Nigerians. Mr. Ologunagba’s duckling approach to the management of the Image of our great party, the PDP is nothing but disastrous in the last few years and we are only grateful that his tenure is ending soon.
It is, therefore, important that the general public discountenances the purported press statement as we are aware that the exalted National Working Committee of the PDP has not met yet to deliberate the lawful replacement of the expelled erstwhile National Vice Chairman of the PDP in the Southeast zone.
For the avoidance of doubt, these are legal and constitutional matters that a Facebook post of an officer of the PDP cannot and will never vitiate.
Patriotic and committed members of the PDP in Ebonyi are aware that a Facebook post by an officer of the party in Abuja has not strength whatsoever to upturn the lawful decision of the good people of Ebonyi State. And the decisions of members of the PDP in Ebonyi State stand and the Egyptians we saw before have gone the way of their ilk.
Mazi Moses Eze IDIKA is a chieftain of the PDP in Ebonyi State