Posted by From Paul Ibe and Chuks Okocha in Abuja on
• Gov Oyinlola heads 9-man probe panel
Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, and his enstranged self-styled godfather, Chief Chris Uba were yesterday suspended for 30 days by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The NEC of the PDP also empanelled a nine-man committee headed by Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, to probe the crisis in Anambra State and report to the party within 14 days while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was asked to present its report on the Anambra State Governorship elections, which took place April 19, 2003.
However, attempt by a delegate from Imo state to open up discussion on the alleged corrupt practices of Ogbeh and the NWC was stopped by Obasanjo on the ground that a truce had been reached on the matter.
Addressing newsmen after the PDP NEC meeting at the party's National Secretariat in Abuja yesterday, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Venatius Ikem said, "We had one agenda at the meeting and the agenda was on Anambra State. And as a step towards resolving the crisis, NEC resolved that the two principal actors should be suspended from the party for 30 days."
He said Ngige and Uba were suspended for 30 days because the constitution of PDP only prescribed that the NEC could only suspend a member for that duration.
He disclosed that the PDP NEC mandated the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, to investigate the crisis in the state and report back within 30 days.
Also speaking on the outcome of the meeting Deputy National Chairman (South) of the PDP, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, said the NEC of the party set up a nine-man committee headed by Oyinlola to investigate the allegation that the governorship polls in the state was rigged. The committee, he said, is expected to submit its report within 14 days.
On why the PDP NEC set up the nine-man panel Oyedokun said: "We want to get to the facts of the crisis; the committee is going to investigate, we are going to hear from both parties and know exactly what transpired. Then, a positive action would be taken, that would be in the overall interest of the party."
He said that Ngige remains suspended from the PDP for the prescribed duration, adding, however, that the suspension will not affect his position as the Governor of Anambra State,Oyedokun said that the removal of Ngige from office is a constitutional issue that is not within the ambit of the party.
National Secretary of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, while noting that the party has a moral duty to take a position said Ngige's suspension will not send a wrong signal to Nigerians and the outside world.
He said the suspension of Ngige does not suggest that he was guilty of fomenting the crisis in Anambra State, but to give room for a thorough investigation of the crisis.
He also said the face-off between Ogbeh and the President is over as "the President as I am talking to you is having his lunch with Ogbeh in his Asokoro residence."
Reacting, Ngige's Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Chuks Akunna said, "We have been informed of the purported suspension of that governor.
As far as we are concerned, it is still a matter of suspension. My governor was asked to excuse the meeting with a promise to be invited to speak later, but he was not.
"All we heard was journalists calling me saying that Governor Ngige has been suspended. For now it will be premature to comment, since we have not been told officially of the suspension and reason for his suspension."
THISDAY gathered that before the meeting commenced all members of NEC from Anambra state including Ngige and former Vice President who lost the presidential primaries to Obasanjo in 1999 and 2003, Dr. Alex Ekwueme were asked out. The President, however, intervened and asked Ekwueme to stay back but not to comment on the issue.
Enugu State Governor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani then moved a motion for Ngige's suspension. Nnamani read out an eight-count allegation against Ngige.
He gave the history of the crisis in the state after which he pronounced Ngige culpable.
Governor James Ibori of Delta State, however, disagreed with the presentation of Nnamani and even asked the meeting to consider the situation when Senator Jim Nwobodo was having misunderstandings with Nnamani, but that the party did not take a stand against the state governor. He called for a fair hearing in the handling of the matter.
Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel spoke in favour of the suspension of Ngige from the party even as he described the whole scenario in Anambra State as immoral.
Chairman of the Governors' Forum and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Victor Attah while calling for a fair hearing in the matter, dissociated himself from the decision to suspend Ngige.
Acting Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih spoke in favour of suspending Ngige from the party, but attempts by the Deputy National Organizing Secretary of PDP, Chief Blessing Akpolum to contribute to the debate was foiled, as he was shouted down.
The matter was eventually put to vote and 84 members of NEC voted for the suspension of Ngige and Uba, four voted against while 12 abstained from voting.
Meanwhile, THISDAY gathered that the NWC of PDP has been directed by the NEC to write to INEC requesting details of the conduct of elections in the state. The report is to be submitted to the committee headed by Oyinlola.
Immediately the decision to suspend Ngige was passed, Ekwueme walked out of the meeting.
The Anambra crisis broke into the open on July 10, 2003 when a contingent of policemen led by late AIG Raphael Ige acting at the behest of Uba attempted to forcefully remove Ngige from office.
Also, on January 2 last year, another attempt to exploit judicial means to force Ngige out of power through an Enugu High Court judgment which ordered the IGP to remove the governor from office was also countered by other court ruling from Awka and the Appeal Court, Enugu.
However in November, Anambra State witnessed three days of mayhem in which government building and other properties were freely vandalised by hoodlums widely believed to have been sponsored by the Uba group. After the mayhem subsided, there were other violence directed at Ngige's security convoy and his residence.
The crisis got to the peak when in December, Obasanjo in his July 12 reply to Ogbeh's December 6 letter stated that he once witnessed a voluntary admission by Ngige that he did not win the 2003 governorship poll.
Uba later reinforced the President's claim when he publicly apologised to the people for his role in the electoral malpractices which brought Ngige to power. Ngige however denied ever admitting to being a beneficiary of election rigging. He even challenged those who have facts to that regard to forward it to the Electoral Petition Tribunal.
The PDP in its reaction to the Uba revelation had stated that it created a moral problem for the party, a problem that topped the agendas of yesterday's meeting. After the meeting Ogbeh and the President drove out in the same car.
The duo had earlier arrived the Wadata Plaza venue of the meeting in the President's car at about 1pm. Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Amimu Bello Masari arrived the venue of the meeting at 12.55pm.
THISDAY gathered that the groundwork for yesterday's PDP NEC meeting was laid at the meeting between Obasanjo and Atiku Monday evening and continued at a breakfast session yesterday morning.
The President used the opportunity of the meeting to brief the Vice President. Obasanjo and Atiku were said to have reached some understanding on the President's face-off with Ogbeh.
Although details of the closed-door meeting were not disclosed, THISDAY gathered that the Vice President argued that Ogbeh should be allowed to run out his tenure, which will lapse in about 10 months.
Atiku was said to have contended that a forced exit of Ogbeh may precipitate a crisis in the party, as is the case with the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Alliance for Democracy (AD) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The Vice President, sources disclosed, also argued that the PDP could not afford to be embroiled in crisis since its fate is closely tied to that of the nation.
He was said to have pointed out that a further crisis in the fold of the party may send wrong signals that the administration was not in firm control of the polity and that the country was sliding.
He was said to have also counseled against the fractionalisation of the party, which he said may have a telling effect on the stability of the country already beset with political crises.
Political observers say that the "truce" the President referred to when a delegate raised the issue of fraud against Ogbeh and members of the NWC at yesterday's meeting may have been as a result of the soft-landing provided by the parley Obasanjo had with Atiku.
The first indication that the much talked about suspension of Ogbeh being said to be canvassed by forces loyal to the President in the party hierarchy would be staved off came on Monday when Obasanjo returned to Abuja from his Yuletide holiday at his Ota farm.
PDP Board of Trustee Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih and the President's Chief of Staff, Major Gen. Abdullahi Mohammed (rtd) had facilitated a reconciliatory meeting between Ogbeh and Obasanjo by going with the party chairman to the airport to receive the President.
It was the truce achieved o Monday that led to the arrangement in which Obasanjo and Ogbeh arrived the venue of yesterday's meeting. Also, it was the reason why the President was the one that shot down attempts by forces loyal to him to force Ogbeh's suspension issue on the agenda of yesterday's meeting.
Present at yesterday's meeting were Ekwueme, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na'Abba, and Governors of Rivers, Nasarawa, Niger, Abia, Kwara, Enugu, Kaduna, Oyo, Gombe, Kogi and Imo.
Others are governors of Anambra, Edo, Delta, Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, Adamawa and Benue among others.
Also in attendance were Prof. Jerry Gana, Anenih, Senate President, Adolphus Wabara and the Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu.
Almost all the state chairmen of the PDP were in attendance.
There was a heavy presence of Police led by Assistant Inspector General of Police, Yekini, and the Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal Operations, Lawrence Alobi.