Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Ndudi Elumelu, has said that six of his colleagues were not given fair hearing by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) before the party suspended them for one month.
Elumelu, who represents Anaocha/ Oshimili Federal Constituency, was named Minority Leader by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on Wednesday.
However, the announcement sparked off crisis in the minority caucus.
The lawmaker in a statement on Friday, said he was already out of Abuja for a funeral, when information got him that the PDP NWC had summoned him and six others to appear before it.
The statement read: “I’m surprised and shocked, that the National Working Committee of our great party, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) can sit and take a decision without giving room for fair hearing.
“I lost an aunty and left Abuja immediately after plenary in the House of Representatives on Thursday and travelled to Delta State. Although I left immediately after the sitting …. Secondly my gateman received the letter at 7.45pm and he called me at 8pm.
“I was informed by my gateman who received the letter from the party at 7.45pm and called me at 8pm. I tried to reach out to the other members named in the letter to see if they could be at the meeting and found out they were also out of town.
“Out of respect for the party, I directed my special assistant to write to the party and request a new date. I would have expected that if the date, we suggested was not convenient for the party, they would have proposed another day when we could have appeared before them.
I have great respect for the party and am ready to serve.”