We have not usurped the powers of PDP NWC – BoT

Abuja – The Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party has said that it has not usurped the powers of the National Working Committee of the Party.

In a statement in Abuja yesterday, the party said it was only performing it’s role as enshrined in the constitution of the party.

The BoT at its meeting with workers of the party Monday said it was taking over the secretariat in the absence of a substan‎tive leadership owing to various court injunctions.

It however said that it would not take over any of the offices in the party.

In a statement yesterday. The Head of Public relations of the party, Chinwe Nnorom said no part of the constitution of the party bequeathed such power to the BoT.

The statement reads:

‎”The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to reports in the media insinuating that the Board of Trustees (BoT) has sacked the National Caretaker Committee led by H. E. Senator Ahmed Makarfi and has taken over executive role in the Party.

“The Party wishes to state without any ambiguity that the report is false, null and void as there is no section of the PDP Constitution that bequeath executive powers or authority to the Board of Trustees.

“The Board of Trustees is responding to the contradictory Court Orders against the National Caretaker Committee and the dissolved National Working Committee (NWC) in order not to leave vacuum occasioned by the said Court Orders.

This action of taken over the National Secretariat by the BoT began on Tuesday May 31, 2016 pursuant to Part ix, Section (5)(e) of the Party Constitution (As Amended in 2012) which empowers the BoT as the only Organ of the Party vested with the assets and custodians of such assets.

“For emphasis, the PDP is one and united and the Board of Trustees as the Conscience of the Party is performing one of its Constitutional powers by mediating in the leadership crisis that has befallen the Party following the outcome of the just concluded National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The BoT therefore did not and has not sacked the National Caretaker Committee as alleged by some sections of the media. For more details, please refer to the press statement of the BoT Secretary, Amb. Chief Ojo Maduekwe titled- To Defect or Not to Defect: The Politics and the Law dated Wednesday June

1, 2016 in response to the purported defection of some National Assembly
members.

“On this note, the Party is urging all members, supporters and friends to
continue supporting the Party to restore peace and order in the PDP and
disregard all reports capable of causing more acrimony and disunity in our great Party” it concluded.