By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gave reason why it issued what it described as Certificates of Expulsion to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; Senator Samuel Anyanwu; and others expelled at the party’s recent elective national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The certificates were issued at a meeting of the NWC on Tuesday, December 2, in Abuja, where the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, formally handed over to Senator Kabiru Turaki, who was elected as the party’s National Chairman during the Ibadan convention.
Turaki, while addressing journalists after the NWC meeting, said the certificates were issued to the expelled members “to make it easy for them” to join other political parties since the Nigerian law is against dual party membership.
Turaki said: “We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so, we have sought to make it easy for them.
“Now that they are no longer members of our party, and now that the National Convention, which is the highest decision-making organ of our party, has expelled them, we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.
“When they go to register with other political parties in Nigeria, they will show these certificates as proof that they are no longer members of the PDP, and those parties will not accuse them of trying to belong to more than one political party.”
He further disclosed that the certificates have been dispatched by courier to the individuals involved.
The party chairman added that the step was necessary to inform Nigerians and relevant institutions, including INEC and security agencies, of the affected individuals’ status.
He said the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other government agencies should “know that these people are no longer members of our party. They have been expelled. They remain expelled. We have now certified their expulsion, and these certificates have been sent to them.”
The chairman added that the party would soon issue public disclaimers, noting that anyone dealing with the expelled individuals “does so at his or her own risk.”
“We hope that members of the PDP in Nigeria and the diaspora will know that the party has once again got rid of the cankerworms that have been afflicting and creating problems for us in our activities,” he said.
Turaki added that the PDP is now focused on rebuilding and preparing to offer Nigerians “credible leadership” ahead of 2027.
Recall that the PDP has been embroiled in internal leadership wranglings, which came to a crescendo in the days leading up to the national convention, as different courts gave contradicting orders on the convention.
The Wike-led faction of the party, which rejected the Ibadan convention, held its own parallel National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja on November 18, where it also announced the expulsion of several opponents, including Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), former Board of Trustees Chair Adolphus Wabara, Turaki, and Chief Bode George, for anti-party charges and violations of court orders.
