By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, has reversed the referral of Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue State to the party’s National Disciplinary Committee.

The NWC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba, in Abuja on Thursday, also reversed the suspension of former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Pius Anyim, and others.

Ologunagba said that the PDP met on Thursday and extensively discussed recent developments in the party.

He said that the NWC recognised the imperativeness of total reconciliation among party leaders and critical stakeholders for a more cohesive party, in the overall interest of its teeming members and Nigerians in general.

“Consequent upon the above, the NWC reverses the referral of Gov. Ortom to the National Disciplinary Committee.

“The NWC in the same vein reverses the suspension of the following underlisted members of our great Party:

“ Ibrahim Shema (Katsina State); Fayose (Ekiti State) Anyim (Ebonyi State); Prof. Dennis Ityavyar (Benue State) and Dr Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara State)”.

Ologunagba said the decision was without prejudice to the NEC powers to take necessary disciplinary action against any party member at any time, pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).

“The NWC charges all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of our Party across the country to be guided by the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) as well as the new spirit and necessity of reconciliation, unity and harmony in our Party at this critical time.”

Ologunagba said the PDP must remain focused as it continued to take every necessary action to recover its alleged stolen mandate and that of its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, through the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the PDP NWC under the suspended National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, had on March 24 referred Ortom to the party’s disciplinary committee.

The NWC also suspended Shema, Fayose, Anyim, Ityavyar and Aliyu, alleging anti-party activities in the 2023 general elections.

Ayu was, however, on Sunday suspended by the executive members of his ward, Igyorov Ward of Gboko Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, which he described as an exercise in futility.

He was suspended over alleged anti-party activities, failure to pay his annual subscription fees, and failure to vote during the just-concluded elections, among other offences.

The party, on Tuesday, appointed Deputy National Chairman, North, Damagum as its acting National Chairman in obedience to a Monday court order restraining Ayu from parading himself as the party’s national chairman.(NAN)

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