The ongoing trial of Chief Olisa Metuh, national spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is affecting the party in no little way. SUNDAY PITA articulates the implications.
Although Chief Olisa Methu embattled national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regained his freedom weekend as the Federal High Court granted him bail, his continued detention created a crack within members of the National Working Committee of the frontline opposition party. He was arrested and detained by the DSS on January 5 2016.
Barely eight hours after the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Abdullahi Jalo called on the former President to clear the air on whose directive the embattled former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki disbursed the $2.1bn Arms money, the Legal Adviser of the party, Barr Victor Kwon distanced the NWC from the position expressed by Jalo during his media briefing.
Jalo had said the party anyone going to bail Olisa Metuh was doing so on his private capacity as a citizen not the party stressing that members of the party allegedly involved in the disbursement of arms fund got these monies through their respective private companies and the PDP’s account.
Speaking on the behalf of the PDP leadership, Kwon said Jalo is on his own and cannot be speaking on behalf of the party.
Kwon said that the clarification became necessary as the statements credited to Jalo during his interaction with the media were capable of misleading the party leaders, members and the public in general.
He hinted that the National Working Committee, NWC has yet met over the controversy surrounding the disbursement of the $2.1bn since it started as the party was on recesses since December 2015.
Kwon further clarified that the PDP was not against the fight against corruption but would rather that the fight goes in consonance with the extant laws of the land in handling such matters especially on the rights of suspects to bail and respect of the orders of the court granting any suspect bail.
He noted: “Party maintains that it is not opposed to the fight against corruption but the fight must be holistic and within the confines of the constitution of the country.
“Suspects cannot be locked up indefinitely without being charged to court or released on bail, especially when courts of competent jurisdiction abound within the area of arrest and detention”.
Concerning the position of the acting national chairman raised by Jalo, he declared ” the party has duly lodged an appeal against the decision of the High Court of the FCT as well as filing application for Injunction Pending Appeal and Stay of Execution”.
“These processes are within the rights of the party since the FCT High Court is not the ultimate court on the matter.”
Then, fresh crisis has brewed in Aniocha South Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following allegations of plan to impose some leaders on it.
A PDP chieftain and former Chairmanship aspirant in Aniocha South Local Government Area, Mr. Paul Okwufulueze, said he was bullied, thrown into police cell and charged to court for defamation of character by the federal house member representing Aniocha/Oshimili, Hon. Mrs. Onyemaechi Mrakpor.
Okwufulueze, who spoke in an interview with newsmen immediately after he was released on bail from the police cell, on Wednesday, in Asaba, said he found himself in cell on account of a candid advice he offered leaders of the party in the state.
He said his advice to the governor and leaders in his constituency (including Hon. Mrakpor), which was conveyed in a text message was taken personal by Mrakpor, who arrested and charged him for defamation of character.
Okwufulueze called on the party leadership to redress what he described as injustice done to him by the law-maker as the party ought to be an umbrella for everybody and not just for the mighty.
He said his advice was on spreading insinuations that premeditated lists of executives from the wards to the local government areas had been scripted to be imposed at the sound of a whistle for the coming party congresses.
“So I sent out the message that the forth coming PDP Ward/LGA/Senatorial and, indeed, the State congresses should be transparent and for delegates to be allowed to choose their choice candidates.
“I am a party stakeholder from Ogwashi-Uku in Aniocha South and a former PDP chairmanship aspirant in the local government. I felt I owe the party a responsibility to advice and offer correction in some noticed anomalies and as such I gave my piece of advice.
“The advice was conveyed in a text message to key leaders of PDP in my constituency and the State. I told the party that the days of impunity were gone, for which we should allow the people to choose anybody they wanted for any position in the coming party congresses.
“But Mrs. Onyemachi Mrakpor, who represents my constituency in the House of Representatives, took it upon herself to bully me for no reason, called the police to arrest me and incarcerate me and I spent the night in cell. Now she has charged me to court for defamation of character.
“This is a woman I fought for during her election. Besides, the text message was sent to even party Chairman, Chief Edwin Uzor, Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi, among other party leaders”, he lamented.
The controversial text message, read thus: “The days of impunity have gone in Aniocha South and in Nigeria politics, where few, so-called leaders will not just draft a list as party Exco (as rumour already has) and push it on us (baboons) to swallow. Let there be a proper congress or a big tsunami will hit our party. We should learn from our past mistake. We are watching!”
When contacted, Mrakpor confirmed that she arrested Okwufulueze on Tuesday and that the matter had been charged to court for defamation of character.
She said that when she received the text message from Okwufulueze, she had wanted to treat it as trivial but considering her status as a public figure, she decided to call in the police and charge the matter to court.
Moreover, she said as a member of the party, she was not aware of any forthcoming congress.
It was for these reasons she had to arrest and charge Okwufulueze to court for defamation of character, for alleging that she (Mrakpor) had already concluded plans to impose PDP executive’s lists”.
Pita a journalist contributes this piece from Asaba, Delta state.
