The suspension of Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been lifted by the new PDP.
Gov. Amaechi was suspended in May by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP for purportedly refusing to obey the Rivers PDP’s ‘lawful’ directive that he should rescind his decision dissolving the elected Executive Council of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
But the new PDP while lifting the suspension said the order was not ratified by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party 30 days after the announcement of Amaechi’s suspension by the NWC as contained in the party’s constitution.
The new PDP made this position known through its newly appointed national youth leader, Comrade Timi Frank, while speaking with newsmen in Abuja.
According to Frank, the lifting of Amaechi’s suspension is in tandem with the agenda of the new PDP led by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“Today we have a new chairman in Alhaji Baraje and national leader Alhaji Atiku Abubakar that understand the party’s constitution, this was why the suspension order on Governor Amaechi was lifted in line with the party’s constitution that any suspension must be ratified within 30 days and this was not done. Also the era of imposition of candidates is over there will be open and transparent primaries at all levels,” Frank said.
When asked if the objective of the ‘new PDP’ was to destabilise the party before moving to the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), the factional national youth leader said, “This is far from the truth, there is nothing like that, the new PDP is fighting to save the party from collapse and not to destabilise it and we are sure that with the support of all Nigerians, we will salvage the PDP from destruction.”
Frank said he had been elected under the new PDP as the national youth leader and that his immediate goal is to rally all the PDP youth leaders across the nation in support of the new agenda of bringing sanity to the party.