Metuh slips off chair, ended up hospitalised

The National Publicity Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party , Chief Olisa Metuh, on Tuesday fell off his seat and injured himself in the process. The incident happened at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Metuh was about taking his seat inside the National Working Committee hall, where the party’s National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, was about to inaugurate the members of the caretaker committees for Borno and Yobe states.

Members of the NWC who were seated inside the hall were Sheriff, the National Legal Adviser, Mr. Victor Kwon; the National Woman Leader, Dr. Kema Chikwe; the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo; and the National Treasurer, Bala Buhari.

Metuh had attempted to sit beside Chikwe when his chair slipped, an incident that made him to land on the tiled floor.

Security operatives attached to Sheriff and those that stood at the entrance of the hall, rushed to rescue Metuh who was writhing in pains.

Metuh, who dressed in a French safari suit, had earlier complained of a “serious back ache” when he met journalists at the secretariat less than 30 minutes to the incident.

He was lifted off the floor and was later assisted outside the hall by security men and some of his personal aides.

Members of the staff of the party, security men and aides of the members of the NWC however prevented journalists from taking his picture.

It was gathered that he was later rushed to the National Hospital, Abuja, where he was later discharged.

Metuh is currently being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged corruption and money laundering offences.

Meanwhile, as preparations towards the May 21 national convention of the PDP hot up, Sheriff has continued to tighten his grip on the party structure.

Sheriff, who is facing serious opposition in his bid to return to office, has continued to set up caretaker committees in some states.

The caretaker committees are to organise elections that will usher in members of the State Working Committees, who will vote during the party’s national convention at Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

It is generally believed that Sheriff is doing this in order to install his loyalists in the affected states.

On Tuesday, he inaugurated caretaker committees for Borno, and Kebbi states with a mandate that members should use the party’s new membership cards for the states’ congresses.

Other states where he had inaugurated caretaker committees are Imo and Yobe states.

Sheriff is bent on running for the office of the national chairman despite opposition from stakeholders including the Board of Trustees and the Forum of the PDP former Ministers.

Sheriff, while inaugurating a nine-member caretaker committee each for Kebbi and Borno states, said that the party must be supported.

Sheriff charged them to be upright, steadfast and impartial in their assignments.

In his reaction, the Chairman of the Borno Caretaker Committee, Alhaji Rilwan Dauda, assured the chairman that his committee would take charge of the responsibility assigned to them by conducting free and fair party congresses and ensure that party moves forward in the state.

Advertisements