The former Zonal Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-East, Ukpai Ukairo, has accused Governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed of leading what he described as “a group of political gangsters” to forcibly take over the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE News
on Tuesday, Ukairo said: “What happened today is that a group of political — and I mean it with every deep conviction — gangsters invaded the PDP secretariat.”
He alleged that Makinde and Bala “headed a group of gangsters and invaded the party office, led by somebody they are describing as chairman of the PDP,” insisting the move amounted to an illegal takeover.
Ukairo argued that the tenure of the National Working Committee (NWC) remains valid until 9 December, and therefore no new leadership can assume office until then.
“The tenure of the national executive ends on 9 December. Does it mean that if a governor is in seat and there is an election, the moment the governor-elect emerges he storms the Government House to take over? That is not the procedure,”he said.
He described the attempt to install a new leadership following the controversial convention in Ibadan as “gangsterism”, adding:
“When you now claim you had a convention 72 hours ago and you move in to take over, that’s gangsterism. That is what we have suffered in the PDP for the past one year plus.”
Ukairo insisted that the group he aligns with represents the lawful leadership of the party.
“They are still the sitting National Working Committee members. Their tenure will expire on 9 December. So they still have lawful powers to sit, exercise those powers, and take decisions,” he stated.
Pressed on whether the group had violated the party’s rule requiring 51 days’ notice before expelling members, Ukairo maintained that once an executive is lawfully in office, its actions remain valid.
“They are lawfully in office. And once they are lawfully in office, they exercise the powers of a lawful body in office,”he said.
He further declared that the convention that produced a rival leadership was illegal, stressing that INEC neither monitored nor received a formal notice for the event.
“INEC did not monitor that convention. PDP has never held a convention where INEC stayed away. For INEC to stay away is a red flag,” he argued.
Ukairo cited the Constitution, Electoral Act and INEC guidelines to insist that any valid convention must be duly monitored:
“The national secretary never communicated to INEC that there was going to be a convention. The Constitution says the commission shall monitor political parties — shall. INEC guidelines also say they shall monitor.”
He questioned why the supposed new chairman arrived at the secretariat flanked by state governors and heavy police presence.
“If you are a national chairman, why do you need governors with a plethora of policemen to lead you to the party office?”he asked.
Reacting to criticisms that the Wike camp is destabilising the party, Ukairo argued the opposite.
“Those who are fighting to preserve the PDP are the Wike camp, who want PDP to remain alive,” he said. “PDP remains the only political platform espousing liberal democracy in accordance with the 1999 Constitution.”
The crisis continues to deepen, with the Wadata Plaza headquarters sealed by police following clashes earlier in the day.
Boluwatife Enome
About the Author
