The Interim secretary of the Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Sidi Godwin, has disagreed with the suspension of Olagunsoye Oyinlola, describing it as an act of “desperation in the highest quarters,” referring to the Bamanga Tukur leadership.
Godwin described the announcement by the Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, making known the suspension of Oyinlola and three other members of the National Executive Committee, for breach of sections 58(1), (b), (g), H and I of the party’s constitution, as an abnormality.
“The action by the Bamanga-Tukur led PDP is unconstitutional and an abuse of democracy,” he said.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, on Wednesday, Mr Godwin said that due process was not followed and such actions deepened the rift among members.
While making the suspension announcement, Metuh read a section of the party’s constitution seen as the code of conduct for members:
“Anyone who does or says anything likely to bring the PDP into disrepute, hatred or contempt has committed a disciplinary offence.
Anyone who engages in disorderly conduct at meetings or rallies, at any party function, including walking out at conventions, is engaging in disorderly conduct.”
However, Godwin insisted that the suspension was “based on what they (Bamanga caucus) have agreed on their own to do to oppress other members of the party.”
Making reference to the court ruling reinstating Oyinlola as National Secretary, Godwin said “the will of the so called caucus members cannot override the will of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These are some of the things the new PDP plans to kick against.”
New PDP Governors Are ‘Messiah Governors’
While speaking on Sunrise Daily, Godwin stressed that the members of the PDP who have made known their dissatisfaction with the current leadership are still members of the party but were tagged ‘New PDP’ by those who interpreted their actions as ‘defection.’
“Sometimes they call them ‘Rebel Governor’s forgetting the fact that these governors are ‘Messiah Governors’ to save Nigeria.”
