BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
National Deputy Chairman, South-South of National Conscience Party, Peters Omoragbon has lambasted the party’s chairman, Yunusa Salisu Tanko for retaining his position even after taking up another appointment as the spokesperson for the Labour Party.
Congratulating Tanko on his new appointment as the spokesperson for the Labour Party, Omoragbon in a press release stated that NCP members were however disturbed by his silence and inability to tender a letter of resignation as member and Chairman of NCP.
Omoragbon’s statement was in reaction to Tanko’s Whatsapp message to NCP leaders on the morning of October 16, 2022, announcing his appointment, wherein he also made it explicitly clear that he had accepted the appointment as the spokesperson of the Labour Party.
According to Omoragbon, Tanko’s full text of the WhatsApp message read, “It is a testimony of the fact that doing good and supporting each other with good intentions at the time of good or bad, or at the time of success or lowest failure has a positive effect in the future.
“I hereby seek your unwavering support towards getting Nigeria back on its feet using one of the little windows that Almighty God has given us to do all that we preached most especially with this appointment of being the FACE of Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed Presidency.
“I want to thank God Almighty Allah for using you to shape me for becoming who I am today while I solicit your guidance and prayers, we will continue to work assiduously for a better Nigeria, God willing.
Thank you, Dr. Yunusa Salisu Tanko.”
Reacting to Tanko’s appointment, Omragbon said, “Suffice to mention, however, that the members of the National Conscience Party (NCP) have waited patiently since October 16, 2022, for Mallam Tanko to formally relinquish his position as National Chairman of NCP and withdraw his membership in line with extant electoral laws and the constitution of the National Conscience Party to no avail, hence, my resort to formally put the Party on notice that, Mallam Yunusa Salisu Tanko cannot act as the NCP Chairman and the spokesman for Labour Party at the same time.”
Referring to Article 2 of the NCP’s constitution which borders on Membership Qualification, Rights and Duties, Omoragbon said sub-section 2.2 of the party’s Constitution stated: “It is the duty of every member, particularly those occupying public offices to project and always uphold the goals of the Party and failure to do so shall constitute anti-party activity punishable in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.”
The NCP deputy chairman hence, advised Tanko to emulate the exemplary character of Doyin Okupe who resigned from his appointment as the spokesperson of the Labour Party in order to uphold the mantra being preached by the Labour Party under Mr. Peter Obi for a new Nigeria.
“It was this mantra that led to the resignation of Chief Doyin Okupe as the Chief Spokesman for the Labour Party having been convicted by a court of competent jurisprudence for money laundering. I am convinced that Mallam Tanko whom I have interacted with for over 20 years in the struggle for a better Nigeria will respect the Party Constitution and formally resign as a member of NCP and as Chairman of the Party,” he added.
Speaking on the constitutional provision for replacement of a Chairman of the party he said, “Nature abhors vacuum. Our constitution envisaged this scenario and provided in Article 4.4.2 (c) that: In the absence of the National Chairperson one of (the National Deputy Chairmen) shall be designated by the National Executive Committee to act in his/her stead.
“For the above reason, I am therefore proposing for an Emergency Meeting of the NEC (via Zoom) to urgently decide on whom to act as the National Chairman until we convene a National Congress of the Party.
“I am proposing January 14 or 21, 2023 for this meeting,” he said.
Omoragbon made public those that are qualified by law to be selected as chairman of NCP, “Article 4.4.2 (a): There shall be one National Deputy Chairperson per each of the geo-political Zones making up the Federal Republic of Nigeria. A person to be so elected must be an indigene and must be resident for at least five years, in any of the states making up the Zone for which he/she is to be elected.
“By implication we have the National Deputy Chairperson North Central, North East, and North West, then, in the South East, South West and South -South.
“As of date we lost the NDC North Central (may his soul rest in peace), the NDC North East has decamped to APC and resigned from the party, while the North West NDC is the only one left from the Northern Zones.
“As for the South East, the current NDC is now a First Class Igwe (Oba or King) and as such he cannot be seen to be involved in partisan politics as all the subjects in his domain are his children irrespective of party affiliations. The South West DNC is still much around and finally the South-South DNC is my humble self, Pastor Peters Omoragbon. Of the whole DNCs, I remain the oldest and most senior. This is not to say that I should be made the Acting National Chairman, nor will I refuse the offer if I am designated by NEC. The party is in need of a vibrant and resourceful rallying figure at this stage of our political history,” he narrated.
