By Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJA—National Caretaker Committee, NCC, of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said it has suspended one of the contestants in Anambra State governorship primary election, Dr. Ifeanyi  Ubah, over what it described as alleged vitriolic media attack on the party’s national leadership.

Briefing newsmen at the party’s national secretariat yesterday, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said: “This week, we had some disciplinary issues regarding the Anambra governorship primaries in which one of the aspirants had launched a major attack against the leadership of the party in the media.

“I’m talking of Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, who not being satisfied with the decision of the Governorship Appeal Panel, decided to launch a vitriolic attack on the leadership of the party and those who were involved in the conduct of the primary.

“The NCC took a decision to issue him a query, asking him to retract the statement and to offer apology to those who have been disparaged by his remarks in the press.

PDP

“He chose not to answer the query. Of course, the query was issued under the relevant sections of the constitution of the PDP. But he decided not to answer the query, consequent upon which the NCC today (yesterday) decided to suspend him for a period of one month and to refer the matter to the National Disciplinary Committee for further necessary action.”

Adeyeye also said the party queried Buruji Kashamu, the senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, saying unlike Ubah, the lawmaker replied the query issued him.

“He (Kashamu) too was issued a query by the NCC some weeks ago. In his case, he replied the query and denied some of the allegations made against him and basically said that he is not responsible for some of those things for which he was accused, consequent upon which the National Caretaker Committee also took a decision to refer his case to the National Disciplinary Committee for further necessary action,” he said.

Adeyeye said the committee was expected to report back to the party in two weeks.

Another decision taken by the party, according to the scribe, was the appointment of Mr. Victor Kwom as Legal Adviser to the NCC Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Meanwhile Kashamu in his reply to the query, denied some of the allegations against him, saying “the issuance of the query is contemptuous of the order of the court made on September 5,2017, by the Federal High Court, Abuja.”

The lawmaker also dismissed the allegation that he instigated the police against some PDP members in Ogun State.

“I wish to unequivocally assert that I never reported any of these people to the police nor do I have course to instigate the police against them,’’ Kashamu said.

Similarly, Ubah has denied receipt of any query, urging the party leadership to show evidence to the contrary.