From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The South-South Zonal Secretary and acting Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), George Turnah, has declared that the main opposition party is in pole position to bounce back after enduring a series of crises.

According to him, the decision by the acting national chairman, Amb. Umar Damagun, to rightly recognise the national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, is a right step to heal wounds in the party.

Turnah, who spoke in an interview monitored on the Nigerian Television Authority, stated Damagun’s position is in line with the Supreme Court judgement that recognises Anyanwu as the national secretary.

He noted that the PDP cannot afford to fail because Nigerians need the party in the bid to make democracy thrive for the benefit of all Nigerians.

Turnah pointed out that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP does not have the power to sack Anyanwu, stressing that only the national convention reserves such powers.

“NEC has no power not to recognise the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu. The only organ of the party that has the right to do so by virtue of the Party’s constitution is the ‘National Convention’, and that could only happen when a convention is called with the notification of INEC,” he said.

“From the day the Supreme Court declared Anyanwu as the authentic National Secretary, of course, since then he has been so discharging his duties,” he said.

On his suspension by the Bayelsa chapter, Turnah insisted that the suspension has been quashed by the Zonal Executive Committee, which has the power over such issues.

“Meanwhile, speaking against his alleged suspension by the Bayelsa State Chapter of the Party, Turnah has again denied the existence of any known subsisting suspension against him.

“Upon hearing that I was suspended by the party, I appealed to the Zonal Executive, which nullified my alleged suspension by the State Working Committee. By virtue of the recently held South-South Zonal Executive convention of the Party in Calabar, Cross River State, Dan Orbih, myself, and others duly elected remain the authentic zonal Executives of the Party.

“My position in Bayelsa State as the acting State Chairman was endorsed by the Zonal Executive Committee of the Party, pending when substantive State Executive officers will be elected and inaugurated by the Party in the State,” he said.