PDP disciplinary panel suspends sitting as Ortom, Anyanwu fail to appear
Effort by the Chief Tom Ikimi-led National Disciplinary Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to wade into the crisis bedeviling the party yesterday hit the rocks as top party leaders failed to appear before it as requested. The committee had invited the embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and former governor of Benue State, […]
Samuel Ortom
Effort by the Chief Tom Ikimi-led National Disciplinary Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to wade into the crisis bedeviling the party yesterday hit the rocks as top party leaders failed to appear before it as requested.
The committee had invited the embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom as well as 10 others to appear before it over petitions written against them. But the bigwigs failed to turn up.
Consequently, the committee was forced to adjourn sitting till March 4, 2025, to create another room for their appearance for questioning.
Addressing newsmen after the committee’s meeting, its Chairman, Chief Tom Ikimi said, “Last week Wednesday we went through the various petitions before us and two petitions were slated for hearing today. One against the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the other against the former governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom.
“Petitions were served on them directly and through courier and there was evidence that the petitions arrived at their destinations. We could not proceed due to correspondence received by those petitioned.”
He said, “The former National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, sent us a letter that he was not well. He has a medical challenge; he backed it up with letters from his doctors.
“Ortom said he did not receive the letter but we have evidence that the letter was sent through DHL and received. But he said he did not receive it. We want to be fair to everyone. We have deferred the meeting to March 4, 2025.”
Ortom demands apology
Meanwhile, Ortom has demanded a written apology from the committee for “exposing him to public ridicule.”
Ortom’s demand was contained in a letter written by his lawyer, C.T. Mue Esq and dated 11th February, 2025. “A written apology be issued to our client within 48 hours of receiving this notice,” the letter reads in part.
He argued in the letter that the National Disciplinary Committee lacked the jurisdiction to entertain any disciplinary action against Ortom as former governor and member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), “making the purported inquiry procedurally defective and unconstitutional.”