The crisis in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) took a new turn on Friday as the party accused the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba of speaking without authorisation.
Ologunagba had on Thursday issued a statement saying the party will abide by the court order that nullified last year’s PDP ward, Local Government and state Congresses in Rivers State.
But the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, who was drafted by the acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum to address journalists, accused Ologunagba of sentiment.
Abdullahi was in October last year, appointed to replace Ologunagba after he was purportedly suspended from the party. The suspension was reversed and Abdullahi reverted to his former position.
He told journalists that by virtue of his election, he enjoys the same powers as Ologunagba to speak for the party.
“Otherwise, all of the interviews and the communication I have been engaged in in time past would have amounted to a nullity if at this point I cannot speak for this party,” he said.
He stated that from the manner Ologunagba has demonstrated lately, “it is becoming very glaring and clear that the party is having discomfort with some of his disposition,” Abdullahi added.
Abdullahi said he had to disclaim Ologunagba’s statement on Rivers State because the National Working Committee (NWC) he claimed to have given him the directive, did not met since September last year.
“I wonder where he will now say the NWC sat and adopted wholly or accepted the verdict recognising the Ewor-led exco in River State.
“Not only that. Only recently he spoke about the judgement in Imo State wherein a court, affirmed the expulsion of Ugochinyere from the PDP.
“Even before the normal processes were adhered to, which is that the information from the ward where he was expelled or suspended transmitted to the local government, and eventually to the state for onward transmission to the NWC, Debo went to the press by issuing a statement that Ugochinyere was not expelled.
“A national publicity secretary does not enjoy such powers. He cannot speak for the NWC without clearance from the NWC.
“We have now come to a level where the sentiment that he has allowed to becloud his reasoning is beginning to take a toll on his job,” he said.
Abdullahi disclosed that PDP has been served with two court orders not recognising anybody as the National Secretary except Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
According to him, there is an order staying the execution of the judgement of the Enugu Division of Court of Appeal, which was delivered on December 20 last year that sacked Anyanwu as National Secretary, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal at the Supreme Court.
He said there is an interim injunction from a Federal High Court, Abuja, restraining PDP, the Board of Trustees (BoT) or the National Executive Committee (NEC), from removing Anyanwu or recognising anybody as National Secretary.
