The member representing Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, has dismissed as illegal his purported suspension by a factional Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his Ward 1, Ngo in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Abiante, an ally of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and representative of the Governor’s Federal Constituency, was allegedly suspended by a parallel PDP Ward Caretaker Executive loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The factional caretaker executive led by its chairman, Dike Bara and 13 others, had announced the suspension of Abiante for anti-party activities, saying that the federal lawmaker is not only promoting factions at the ward level but also belonging to a group under the guise of the party.
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But speaking at the Port Harcourt International Airport upon his return from the ECOWAS Parliamentary Diplomatic Mission on the Togo Presidential Election, the lawmaker said those behind the purported suspension are not members of the PDP and as such do not have any knowledge of the Party’s constitution.
The lawmaker, who later spoke at the PDP Secretariat at Ngo Town, Ward 1, Andoni LGA after a rousing welcome, called on Governor Fubara’s supporters in Andoni and beyond to disregard the purported suspension as those behind have no legal right by the party’s constitution to make any such announcement.
“Democracy is not for a given persons to sit somewhere to think that they can nominate persons to come to Ngo with the sole purpose of making an announcement that they are not competent to announce.
“Even the constitution of our great party in Chapter 10 stipulates that no other organ has the right to contemplate a query or seek explanation on the activities of a national assembly member. None other than the National Executive Committee so where is anybody deriving the power to speak”.
He added that ”most of the persons who were there are not members of this party if you go by our party register. They should show us where their names are on the register, they should also present their party membership cards.”
He said the action is part of antics by disgruntled and misguided politicians who are bent on frustrating the Governor Fubara-led Rivers State Government from delivering the needed development to the people of the State.
According to him, their antics have always failed as the Governor’s organic support continues to rise daily, adding that Andoni people will soon welcome the Governor as he comes to commission the Andoni section of the Unity Road which he completed within six months in office.
Hours later, the Rivers State High sitting in Port Harcourt issued an interim injunction restraining the PDP Ward Exco from suspending the federal lawmaker and adjoined the matter to May 14, 2024, to enable the defendants appear in court.
A former PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, who hails from same LGA as Abiante was on August 31, 2021, suspended in similar fashion by his Ward 5 Exco.
As the struggle for who controls the PDP in Rivers State continues, supporters of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and those of the FCT Minister may be in for a season of suspension and counter suspension in the build up to the Party’s Congress expected to be conducted next month.