Suspension: Elumelu Reacts, Says PDP ‘Hasty Decision’ Negates Spirit Of Fair Hearing

Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, the newly elected Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, has reacted to his alleged suspension from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Elumelu, in a statement by his media office on Saturday morning, called on the PDP NWC to rescind its decision in the interest of the party, the National Assembly and Nigeria as a whole, saying that the decision was hasty as it negates the spirit and letter of fair hearing which is at the heart of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution and extant laws of the land.

BIGPEN Online recalls that the PDP NWC under the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus had on Friday hinged its decision on the alleged refusal of Elumelu, and other PDP lawmakers to appear before the committee on Friday morning at the Wadata House.

But the Minority Leader said he and his colleagues got the invitation to appear before the party late on Thursday by which time, he, the Deputy Minority Leader, the Minority Whip, the Deputy Minority Whip and all other lawmakers invited had travelled out of Abuja.

Even at that, Elumelu said out of the respect he has for the party, he instructed his Special Assistant to notify the party in writing, conveying their inability to honour the party’s invitation as directed.

However, as obedient and loyal party members, the Minority Leader said they had asked the NWC for another date to appear before it only for the party to hastily suspend them, in flagrant contravention of the principles of fair hearing.

Hon Elumelu said he and his colleagues selected to lead the opposition parties in the House of Representatives didn’t contravene the laws regulating the selection of members into leadership positions and wondered why his party suspends them from the party they have strengthened over the years.

The Minority Leader noted that their selection as leaders by their colleagues of the minority parties was in strict compliance with Order 7, Rule 8 of the House of Representatives.

He said: “As loyal party members, we had thought that the PDP NWC would have availed us the opportunity of fair hearing, robust and constructive engagements before taking such drastic action on elected representatives who have over years, strengthened and protected the corporate interest of the party and Nigeria in general.

“We have become good ambassadors of the PDP and we don’t deserve this kind of treatment. Our alleged suspension negates the spirit and letter of fair hearing which is at the heart of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution and extant laws of the land. We love PDP and we are ready to meet with the party leadership as we have no other party to call our own than the PDP.

“We therefore call on the NWC to rescind its decision of suspending us, in the interest of the PDP, the National Assembly and Nigeria as a whole.”