Crisis in PDP Taraba as executives fight over authority to suspend in Yorro LG

The alleged suspension of former Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Taraba State, Dr. David Ishaya Kassa, by the executives of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Yorro local government council has begun to tear the party apart.

The party leadership from Kassa ‘A’ ward of the council, claimed that their counterparts in Wards, had no constitutional power to suspend any member of the party.

The party in the local government, led by its chairman, Anthony David, had last week announced the suspension of the former Commissioner from the party.

His suspension was attributed to the alleged roles he played during the last general election, which they claim led to the victory of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, candidate in Yorro state constituency.

Piqued by the former Commissioner’s purported suspension, the party’s ward executives, led by Geoffrey Mading, insisted that the suspension cannot hold as the executives at the local government level have no power mandating them to suspend anyone.

Buttressing their argument with Articles 8(3), (9), Article 57 (1)(2) (4) of the PDP Constitution 2017 (As amended), they said, “only the Ward Executives have power to register members at Ward level, initiate any disciplinary proceedings and suspend or expel a members.”

The Ward leaders who insist “the Local Government Executives have no power to suspend a member of the Party” made their positions known in a press statement on Sunday made available to newsmen in Jalingo, the state capital.

Part of the statement read, “We the Kassa ‘A’ Ward Executives of PDP, Yorro Local Government Area lead by the Ward Chairman Mr. Geoffrey Mading affirms the membership status of Dr. David Ishaya Kassa as a bonafide member of the party without any blemish.”

“As a matter of fact, Dr. Ishaya is a pride of PDP in Yorro Local Government and primus inter parem among all other PDP members of the local government. He has worked tirelessly for the party and contributed immensely for the growth and development of the party.”

“A few persons have de-marketed the party by sitting tight and promoting redundancy for donkey years, soiling the good image of the former Commissioner and the Party in the local government.

“Ward Executives will not stand by and watch any group of charlatans speak ill of him without basis or authority,

They called on the party leadership at the state level to as a matter of urgency bring to book those behind the purported suspension, saying, “in the exercise of the powers of the Ward Executives, the perpetrators of this ill-fated, malicious and baseless, press release against our leader are hereby recommended for disciplinary action by the party at Ward level.”

Announcing the suspension of the local government party chairman, they directed him to immediately “hand over all properties of the party in his possession and desist from parading himself as a member of the PDP until he clears his name before the ward disciplinary committee.”

But the chairman who insisted that he is still the PDP chairman of Yorro council, said the suspension of the former Commissioner remains.

Crisis in PDP Taraba as executives fight over authority to suspend in Yorro LG