His resignation nonetheless, Dr. Nwodo was referred by the National Executive Committee, NEC, to the party’s Disciplinary Committee for trial for purportedly bringing the party to disrepute through his stumbling intervention into proceedings of the party’s national convention last Thursday.
Nwodo’s resignation letter which was rushed into the NEC meeting, however, derailed already rehearsed plans by enraged party officials to dismiss him from office and subsequently expel him from the party.
From right: Vice President Namadi Sambo; President Goodluck Jonathan; Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Haliru Bello; and the party's National Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje at the PDP's 56th National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting in Abuja, yesterday.
Jonathan, speaking to airport correspondents on his arrival for a private visit in Lagos, said the development in the party was a needed adjustment to a human system that had developed problems.
The kernel of the allegation against Nwodo to be presented to the party’s disciplinary panel is that the former chairman brought disrepute to the party through his wilful appearance at the National Convention contrary to the agreement by the National Working Committee that he should not appear in deference to a court order barring him from the convention.
Fresh allegations
It was learnt that the panel may also probe into fresh allegations that Nwodo, by his action, sought to damage the chances of the party in the presidential election by bringing judicial sanction on the party through his appearance.
Erstwhile Vice_President Atiku Abubakar who was himself the supposed beneficiary of Nwodo’s controversial interruption of the convention, yesterday, denied the former chairman saying he was himself the victim of Nwodo’s alleged plots in office.
He equally denied any favours from Nwodo in the waiver given him to partake in the presidential primaries of the party.
Yesterday’s NEC meeting also ratified the appointment of Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed as the Acting Chairman with all the paraphernalia of office of the National Chairman. In that respect, Dr. Mohammed was mandated to formally endorse and submit the list of successful PDP candidates in the just concluded primaries held nationwide to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The stage for Nwodo’s dismissal was set by a memo presented to the NEC by Dr. Mohammed articulating the grievances by party officials against the former chairman during the closed door meeting.
Mohammed in the two-page memo with reference NEC/55/96/11, presented on behalf of the National Working Committee, NWC and entitled “Special National Convention of January 13, 2011: Matters Arising” had listed the ‘sins’ of Nwodo at the just concluded Special National Convention.
The memo which was signed by Bello Mohammed and obtained by Vanguard read: “Prior to the convention, a Court in Enugu was reported to have issued an injunction restraining the National Chairman Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo from presiding over the Convention. In view of this development, the National Working Committee vested in the Deputy National Chairman, the authority to preside over the Convention.
“However, in the course of the Convention, Dr. Nwodo appeared, and claimed that the injunction had been vacated whereas this was not so. The National Chairman, fully aware that the Court order had not been vacated, attempted to forcefully preside over the Convention.
Embarrassing situation
“This led to an embarrassing situation to the chagrin of Mr. President, the Vice President, the National Working Committee and other top Party leaders, the delegates and the international community who were watching. The action of Dr. Nwodo dragged the Party into disrepute contrary to Article 21 (1) c and h of the PDP Constitution.
“In reaction to this development, the South East Zonal Caucus, has passed a vote of no confidence on Dr. Nwodo asking him to resign and has asked NEC to invoke necessary and relevant sections of our Party constitution to remove him from office, if the call on him to resign fails to materialize.”
Mohammed urged the PDP NEC to note that “a High Court in Enugu restrained the National Chairman from carrying out the functions of the office pending the determination of the suit.
“Based on this the Deputy National Chairman wasmandated to act as National Chairman. However, the National Chairman attempted to forcefully preside over the Convention claiming that the injunction had been lifted when he was fully aware that, that was not the case. This led to the Party being embarrassed and its image dragged into disrepute contrary to Article 21 of the Party Constitution. The South East zone has also called on the National Chairman to resign or be removed.”
Once Mohammed rounded off his speech, the Benue State Chairman of the Party, Chief Agbo Emmanuel, moved a motion that the embattled former national chairman be expelled from the party. His motion was seconded by a Board of Trustee, BoT member, Hajia Nana Aisha Abdulkadir.
It was at this point the source said that a letter of resignation by Nwodo was then presented before NEC and rather than disgracing their erstwhile chairman through a summary expulsion, he was then given a soft landing in the form of a resignation.
In his letter of resignation addressed to the Acting National Chairman and dated January 18, 2011, Nwodo noted that he may not have achieved all he set for the party, but stressed that during his tenure, the PDP organized the most transparent Presidential primaries that saw the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan as the Party’s flag bearer for the 2011 Presidential election.
“On June 17, 2010, I was invited by our great party, PDP to serve in the capacity of National Chairman. It was for me a great honour and a call to national service. My major assignn1ent was to reposition our great party for the 2011 general elections and build trust, integrity and confidence among our teeming supporters. More significantly, I set out to introduce internal democracy as a means of curtailing godfatherismn in the nomination of candidates.
Transparent primaries
“I may not have achieved all the goals I set for myself and the party, But I am exceedingly happy that under my leadership as the National Chairman, the party was able to organize the most transparent presidential primaries in the history of not only our party but the country as a whole. I take pride in the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan as the flag bearer of our party and I pledge to support him wholeheartedly throughout the campaign leading to his election in the Presidential election.
“Events of the last few days have thrown me into the centre stage of national discourse. As a true party man, I am conscious of the fact that if not properly handled, this may affect the image of our party adversely. Although the issues in question may not have been orchestrated by me, I still believe that any true democrat must be prepared to subordinate his personal interest to the party. It is in this regard that I have decided to offer my resignation as the National Chairman of our great party with effect from today, January 18, 2011.
“Let me unequivocally salute and thank Mr. President and members of NEC for the opportunity given me to serve our party in the last eight months. I must state that I am ever willing to make meaningful contributions to the progress and success of our party at any level as a proud member of the PDP family.”
Briefing newsmen at the end of the meeting, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali said: “NEC also received reports of unfortunate acts of indiscipline exhibited by the former National Chairman at the ground of the just concluded National Convention held on January 13, 2011. NEC referred the matter to the National Disciplinary Committee which shall handle the issues and give recommendations to NEC for further necessary actions.
“NEC congratulated the President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and the Vice President Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo on their victory at the just concluded National Convention where they emerged as Presidential Candidate and Running Mate respectively and urged all Party members to rally round them and deliver victory to our great Party in the April general elections.”
Nwodo still a senior party member—Jonathan
Welcoming the resignation of Dr. Nwodo, yesterday, on his arrival in Lagos, President Jonathan said that when certain aberrations are observed in the system adjustment must be made “in every human system, just like in any factory that develops any machine problem, you. adjust the system, every human system operates that way, so there is nothing odd about it.”
He added that Dr. Nwodo was still a senior member of the party, “but because of certain circumstances, we feel that there are so many multiple litigations, and the party is tired about all these litigations and the party does not want to be dragged into too many litigations.
“So we feel that instead of dragging the party into litigations and, even at this critical period when we are to submit names of candidates to INEC, we don’t want to encumber the party with so many litigations, that is why he stepped aside so that the party can move forward without encumbrances but he is still a senior member of the party, we still respect him, he will continue to do his work as a very senior member of PDP.”
On the problems being faced by Nigerians on the on going registration of voters by INEC, the President said he could not speak for the commission being an independent body though he rebuffed insinuations that turn out for the exercise is low.”
He added: “We have given them maximum equipment to do what is right, they may have problems with some of the machines, but they will get over it.”
Rejecting claims that he had a hand in the forced resignation of the former PDP National Chairman, Atiku in a statement issued on his behalf by his campaign office said he was a direct victim of Nwodo’s alleged plots in office.
He said: “The erstwhile Chairman delivered the convention to the President but they still went on baying for his blood. That tells you there was more to it than the eye could see. Someone wants blood and you give him palm oil. Does that satisfy him?”
He said that a few weeks to the PDP Convention, the former PDP Chairman did everything to frustrate his presidential ambition by making impossible a meeting intended to discuss the modalities of how the January 15, 2011 convention was to hold. He alleged that Nwodo did not agree to meet or even answer phone calls for upwards of two months now.
According to Atiku, Nwodo frustrated every meeting his campaign organization had requested to discuss serious issues that border on free and fair election, especially the need to create a level_playing ground in which no delegate would feel constrained or intimidated to choose their preferred candidate.
The statement noted that the former national chairman of the PDP had crises across the country in many chapters of the party, including Enugu State, where he and Governor Sullivan Chime were engaged in a bitter battle of supremacy. “It is clear that the former Chairman had enough home troubles to contend with,” Atiku furthered maintained.
On the issue of Atiku’s return to the party and subsequent waiver granted him to run for the party’s ticket, the Campaign Organization said the then Chairman and the National Working Committee of PDP were confronted with a fait accompli since the former Vice President was among those re_integrated by the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Committee set up to reconcile the party.
In this regard, the former Vice President distanced himself from any suggestions that his presidential bid was responsible for the unceremonious exit of Nwodo.
Source: Vanguardngr.com
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