House Minority Leadership: PDP Suspends Elumelu, 6 Others

Malik Yahya/

The Peoples Democratic Party today suspended member representing Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency of Delta State, Mr Ndudi Elumelu and six other PDP members of the House of Representatives.

The others include member representing Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency of Osun State, Wole Oke; member representing Onitsha North and Onitsha South Federal constituency, Lynda Ikpeazu; member representing Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency, Anayo Edwin; member representing Kaura Federal Constituency election in Kaduna State, Gideon Gwani; member representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency of Enugu State, Toby Okechukwu and member representing Ijebu-North/Ijebu-East / Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency, Adekoya Abdul-Majid.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan at a media briefing in Abuja said the suspension was one of the outcomes of the meeting of the PDP National Working Committee over the crisis surrounding the Minority Leadership of the House of Representatives.

According to the NWC, their action was an act of insubordination, hence they are to proceed a month-long suspension.

The NWC had also summoned the seven Reps to a meeting with it today but none of the invited Reps was present during the meeting.

Rather, Elumelu and other leaders of his factional PDP caucus wrote the NWC that they would not be able to honour the invitation because they were out of Abuja and urged the NWC to reschedule the meeting.

The letter dated July 5 was signed by the Special Assistant to the Minority Leader, Sam Audu, and addressed to the National Secretary of PDP.

The letter reads: “I am in receipt of a letter dated 4th July, 2019, inviting the House Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Hon. Wole Oke, Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu, Hon. Anavo Edwin, Hon. Gideon Gwadi, Hon. Toby Okechukwu and Hon Adekoya Abdul-Majid to appear before the NWC of our party.

“I wish to inform you that the House Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, and other members invited are currently out of Abuja. Notwithstanding, I have notified him and other members about the letter of invitation and they requested that I notify you about their absence from Abuja.

“In the light of the above, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and other members invited are requesting that the meeting should be rescheduled for either Thursday, 18th July at 4:00pm after plenary; or Friday, 19th July at 10:00am. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and other members invited regret any inconvenience that their absence will cause the NWC.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the incident.

The incident occurred on Wednesday after Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, ignored a list by the PDP in which Kingsley Chinda was nominated as the Minority Leader of the House.

He rather chose to use another list submitted by lawmakers from all the other opposition parties in the House.

Subsequently, Ndudi Elumelu was announced as the Minority Leader. This had led to a protest by aggrieved lawmakers, while some attempted to seize the maze.

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