PDP WORKERS DEMAND REOPENING OF PARTY SECRETARIAT

Troubled workers of the Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP) under the aegis of PDP Staff Welfare Forum have appealed to the judiciary to salvage the party from its leadership crisis.

They demanded the im­mediate and unconditional reopening of the PDP Na­tional Secretariat in Abuja to allow them gain en­trance into their offices for routine activities.

Protesting the seven months’ closure of the party’s secretariat, the em­ployees urged the judiciary to speedily dispense justice on the PDP cases before the courts in order to save the nation’s democracy from gradually degenerat­ing into a one-party state.

Addressing newsmen during the protest, the Secretary of the PDP Staff Welfare Forum, Hon Dan Ochubaiye said: “The fo­rum frowned at the inces­sant petitions by a party in the case and described it as a delay tactic to subvert justice.

“The members of staff of the secretariat believed that the delay is only bene­ficial to the petitioner, who is being sponsored by the ruling party, the All Pro­gressives Congress (APC) in order to weaken and silence the only opposition party.

“The staff of the PDP National Secretariat holds the Judiciary in high es­teem and believe in it to remain unbiased and dispense justice that will maintain the sanctity and independence of the rule of law and the court.”

The staff also frowned at the continuous shutdown of PDP national Secretar­iat by the Police, adding, “Certain elements want to ensure that the PDP Na­tional secretariat is perpet­ually under lock and key.

“No court in the country gave the order for the lock­down of the PDP National Secretariat by the Nigeria Police Force and therefore demanded the immediate and unconditional reopen­ing of the Secretariat to al­low staff gain entrance into their offices for routine Party activities.

“It is only fair and just for the staff to be allowed into their legitimate offices while the Police is duty bound to provide adequate security for them as pro­vided by the Nigerian con­stitution.”

Lamenting the poor sit­uation of staff welfare since the unfortunate ousting of the PDP in the last general elections, Ochubaiye called on all the organs and stake­holders in the party to ur­gently support the Ahmed Makarfi led National Care­taker Committee in all ramifications.

He said: “The staff wel­fare committee condoles with the families of its members that lost their lives during this uncertain period. It is the belief of staff that the demise of the staff was largely avoidable.”