“Only death can remove us” – Chimaroke Nnamani, Fayose, others react to expulsion from PDP

The former Enugu State governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, and other five members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State running for the Senate and House of Representatives in the forthcoming elections have kicked against their expulsion from the party.

The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) had on Friday, February 10, 2023, approved the expulsion of the senator representing Enugu West and five other members for alleged anti-party activities.

Nnamani, reacting to his expulsion in a letter addressed to the PDP NWC through his lawyer, Olusegun O. Jolaawo (SAN), insisted that the party leadership lacks the power to suspend or expel him from the party.

He said the NWC failed to follow due process before suspending him, adding that the expulsion does not hold water.

The decision, according to him, violated the PDP constitution which clearly stated that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) has the power to suspend or expel a member of the National Assembly.

The ex-governor noted that based on article 57(7) of the PDP constitution, the NWC lacks the powers to contemplate any disciplinary measure against him in the first place.

He described the NWC meeting held on January 20 as illegal and urged the party to reconsider the action.

Also reacting to the development, the candidates, Alhaji Lateef Ajijola (Ekiti Central Senatorial District), House of Representatives candidates, Otunba Yinka Akerele (Ekiti North 1), Joju Fayose (Ekiti Central 1), Lere Olayinka (Ekiti Central 2), and Mrs Emiola Adenike Jennifer (Ekiti South 2) said only death could stop them from running and winning the February poll.

In a statement issued on Friday, the candidates described the expulsion as ”inconsequential”, saying it was a clear disrespect for the laws of the party and that of the country

According to them, the “lawlessness of the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu and the National Working Committee, NWC, will ultimately fail.

“Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022, provides that ‘a political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidates whose name has been submitted under Section 29 of this Act, except in the case of death or withdrawal of a candidate’.

“We are unperturbed. Rather, we are being propelled to work harder to ensure victory in the elections. Ultimately, it will be victory for us as candidates of the PDP

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