Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and a former governor of Rivers State, has been exonerated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for his alleged anti-party actions.
The party claims that without a proper, fact-based petition, no action can be taken against him or any of the other members.
In Abuja, PDP Deputy National Legal Adviser Barrister Okechukwu Osuoha revealed this, pointing out that despite the party’s disciplinary committee being in place, no member has been charged or disciplined as of yet because no official petitions have been filed.
We established a disciplinary committee at our NEC meeting, with Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) serving as its secretary and Chief Tom Ikimi, an elder statesman, as its chairman. They were required to deal with any violation or anti-party behaviour committed by any party member, regardless of their standing, and to hold those individuals accountable.
However, no one has been charged or punished as of yet. People frequently ask me why we shouldn’t discipline Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the FCT, or take other action. I inform them that simply stating that someone has committed an offence is insufficient. The disciplinary committee must receive a formal petition,” Osuoha stated.
He emphasised that when the accused is asked to testify and submit evidence, the petitioner must likewise be prepared to do so.
The petitioner must also be prepared to appear and testify once the petition has been prepared and submitted. You must present your evidence if the accused is invited. Making broad accusations is insufficient,” he continued.
Osuoha went on to say that the PDP was not the only party facing difficulties in following disciplinary matters to completion; rather, it was a reflection of larger issues with Nigeria’s governance structure.
The Nigerian system as a whole has the same issue. Finding a solution is more difficult than simply identifying irregularities, he stated.
