National Deputy Chairman, South-South of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Peters Omoragbon, has slammed its party chairman Mallam Yunusa Salisu Tanko for not resigning his post despite taking up another appointment as spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP).
While congratulating Tanko on his new appointment as the spokesperson for the LP, Omoragbon stated that members of the party were disturbed by his silence and inability to tender a letter of resignation as member and Chairman of NCP.
In expression of their disturbance, a press release stated, “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.”
Meanwhile, Omoragbon had to Tanko’s Whatsapp message where he made it clear, his acceptance of appointment as the Spokesperson of the Labour Party.
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.”
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According to Omoragbon, that was the full text of the WhatsApp message sent by Mallam Tanko to the leaders of the National Conscience Party on the morning of October 16, 2022, at 07.41 announcing his appointment as the Spokesperson for the Labour Party.
Omoragbon referring to Article 2 of the NCP’s constitution which states Membership Qualification, Rights and Duties, said sub-section 2.2 of the NCP Constitution states: “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.”
Tanko was advised to emulate the exemplary character of Chief Doyin Okupe who resigned his from appointment as the Spokesperson of the Labour Party in order to uphold the mantra being preached by the Labour Party under 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 now 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.”
While talking 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 convey a National Congress of the Party.
“I am proposing January 14 or 21, 2023 for this meeting,” he said.
The NCP chairman also made public those that are qualified by law to be selected as chairmen 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 National Deputy Chairperson North Central, Northeast, and Northwest. Then, in Southeast, Southwest and South -South.
“As of date we lost the NDC North Central (may his soul rest in peace), the NDC Northeast has decamped to APC and resigned from the party, while the Northwest NDC is the only one left from the Northern Zones.
“As for the Southeast, 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 Southwest 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, neither 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.
