By Babalola Seyi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which expelled former Enugu State Governor Chimaroke Nnamani from the party on Friday on charges of anti-party activity, has been challenged by the former governor.
Nnamani, a sitting senator seeking re-election to represent Enugu East Senatorial District, has been outspoken in his support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, over his party’s choice, Atiku Abubakar.
He escalated his campaign for Mr. Tinubu after the PDP announced his suspension from the party as he called the bluff of the PDP national Working Committee, characterizing his suspension as a “nullity”.
Finally, the party decided to remove him, along with seven other members from Ekiti and Imo States. The suspension is noteworthy since several of them are candidates in the next election.
According to the PDP’s judgment, Mr. Chimaroke and others are no longer members of the party.
However, Nnamani has already questioned the legitimacy of the party’s move, claiming that, according to section 59 of the party’s constitution, only the National Executive Committee, not the National Working Committee, has the authority to make such decisions.
In a letter to the PDP’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, Mr. Nnamani stated that the party’s decision violates the disciplinary procedure for a member of the party.
Section 59 of the PDP constitution reads, “Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution 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, President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Ambassadors, Special Advisers or member of any of the legislative houses.”
The PDP has been in an internal crisis since the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate, as several governors are known as the G5 governors, Nysome Wike of Rivers, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, have consistently opposed Atiku.
The 1999 constitution on political party and candidate…..
The expulsion of Mr Nnamani and other candidates of the party some weeks before the general elections appears to have created some legal implications.
Section 65(2b) provides that a person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if (b) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party.”
To further protect the political party, section 68 provides that a “member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the house of which he is a member if—
g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period that House was elected, provided that his membership of the latter political party is not a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member…..
Section 221 of the constitution further provides that “No association, other than a political party, shall canvas for votes for any candidate at any election………….”
Furthermore, on the ballot, it is not Mr Nnamani’s name that will be on the ballot, but rather, the logo of the PDP.
