PDP Convention: Screening C’ttee disqualifies Olafeso, Oladipo, Muo-Aroh

.Candidate faults panel’s verdict

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

Ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention, three candidates have been  disqualified by the screening committee of the party.

Chairman of the convention committee and governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, who disclosed this yesterday during the unveiling of the convention logo, said the three candidates were disqualified because they, at different times, took the party to court.

He said they intended to stop the forthcoming convention, stressing that they failed to exhaust internal party conflict resolution mechanisms.

The governor listed the candidates as Olafeso Eddy Eniola, Prof Adewale Abiodun Oladipo and Bar Okey Muo-Aroh.

Olafeso is seeking to be national publicity secretary, Oladipo is seeking to be deputy national chairman while Muo-Aroh is contesting for national secretary of the party.

They are however entitled to seeking redress at the appeal panel which will sit on Saturday.

Finitiri said, “I want to tell you that the three that could not meet the standard of the screening committee. Dr. Olafeso Eddy Eniola, who initially has put his interest to contest for Office of the National publicity secretary, and the other persons are Prof Adewale Abiodun Oladepo, Bar Okey Muo-Aroh.

“All these have been disqualified for the reason that they took the party to the court. Their intention also was to stop the national convention. So if you have taken the party to court without exhausting the internal mechanism of settling whatever grievances you have and  you try to stop the convention. The committee felt you can also enjoy from the convention.

“More so the provision of section 51 sub 1L in our party Constitution clearly spells out that you must exhaust all the internal mechanism in the party.

“The same constitution of our great party have also made a provision that if you have not exhausted section, 58 (1L), you can be punished under Section 59 (1e). So you can see that the steering committee have done what is needful of them.

“You must be disciplined in the party for us to survive. And I think we have to move away from the past as we are trying to open a new chapter for the party,” he said.

But Muo-Aroh has faulted the verdict of the panel, stressing that he has never taken the party to court at anytime since he joined the party.

Muo-Aroh who stated this while speaking with newsmen added that it was wrong for the panel to have disqualified him on that ground.

He however stated that he is resolved to challenge his disqualification at the appeal panel, stressing that he is ready to contest his disqualification.