Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
Loyalists
of former President Olusegun Obasanjo were on Friday removed from
office by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Those sacked from office were the
National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha, and the National Vice-Chairman
(South-West) Mr. Segun Oni.
In Ogun State, the national leadership also sacked the Obasanjo-backed executive led by Senator Dipo Odujinrin.
The decision to remove these officers
were taken at the meeting held in Abuja on Thursday by members of the
National Working Committee.
The meeting was presided over by the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
Mustapha, an ally of Obasanjo, was replaced with Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju.
A statement signed by the PDP National
Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the party took the decision
on the affected officers following series of suits on the congress that
brought them to office.
The statement said, “Following protracted
dispute on the Ogun State and south West Zonal Exco of the Party, a
series of suits were filed on the matter, amongst which include
FHC/L/CS/1248/2011, FHC/L/CS/282/2012 and FHC/L/CS/347/2012
“That Chief Bode Mustapha is removed from office as the National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“That Alhaji Fatai Adewole Adeyanju is the validly elected National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“That the Peoples Democratic Party is to
rectify its records by deleting the name of Chief Bode Mustapha as
National Auditor and replacing the same with Alhaji Fatai Adewole
Adeyanju.
“That the South-West Zonal Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party conducted in March 2012 is nullified.
“That the Executive Committee constituted
for the PDP in Ogun State at congresses conducted by the Bashorun Dayo
Soremi led harmonised Executive Committee for the wards, local
governments and in the state in March 2012 are valid Exco of the Party
at the various levels in Ogun State and are entitled to their 4-year
tenure.
“That the PDP is to organise a fresh
South-West Zonal Congress at which access is to be given to delegates
elected at congresses conducted by or under the supervision of the
Soremi-led Ogun State Executive and accept the candidacy, for offices
zoned to Ogun State, of only the persons nominated at the said
congresses for the said offices.
“The National working Committee of the
Party met on 14th February 2013 and gave careful consideration to the
issues and decided that, in line with respect to the rule of law which
is a cardinal principle of the present administration, the PDP as a law
abiding party, will immediately comply with the said judgment.
“This is all the more so that same has not been set aside or reversed by any superior court.”
At the Ogun State PDP congress conducted by Soremi, Mr. Bayo Dayo, had emerged as the party chairman.
Dayo is being supported by businessman, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, while Obasanjo is backing Odujinrin-led executive.
With the decision to party to embark on
fresh congress in the zone, it may have sealed the dream of the sacked
National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, to return
to office.
Oyinlola was removed from office by an Abuja Federal High Court based on the faulty congress.
But the former governor of Osun State is at the Court of Appeal contesting the decision of the lower court.
In a separate statement, Metuh said the
party had constituted a 17-member committee headed by Chief Ishola
Filani to run the South-West zonal chapter.
The members are Chief Pegba Otemolu,
Secretary; Adedeji Doherty, Organising Secretary; Rasak Akanni, Auditor;
Bolaji Jeje, Youth Leader; Orimolade Olanrewaju, Treasurer; Olawunmi
Yuba, Woman Leader; Banji Obasanmi, Financial Secretary and Shola
Oludipe, Legal Adviser.
Others are Lawal Olatunde, Publicity
Secretary; Emmanuel Oladejo, Olalekan Abubakar, Seun Adesanya, Samiu
Babatunde, Tope Ademiluyi; Tunde Olowofoyeku and Omoniyi Alo (all
ex-officio).
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Ogun State
Executive of the PDP, Chief Adebayo Dayo, has described the decision as
“a victory for the rule of law.”
But the Obasanjo faction denied any knowledge of the action.
Dayo said on the telephone that he would immediately start the moves to reconcile all the estranged members of Ogun PDP.
He also said he had received a letter
from the PDP National Secretariat directing the police in the state to
re-open its state secretariat closed at the height of the crisis in the
state chapter.
Dayo said, “The situation is that for a
very long time, dictatorship has been reigning in so many areas, not
only in our party but all over Nigeria. But this time around our party
sat down, we had a lot of deliberations and they decided that the only
way out is to have a very clean party by following the rule of law. So,
the rule of law has prevailed. Our party does not want any imposition.
We want to have a very clean internal democracy. That is what is
happening now.
The Publicity Secretary of the
Odujinrin-led faction, Mr. Bidemi Osunbiyi, told our correspondent on
the phone that he was not aware that his group had been sacked by the
PDP National Secretariat.
Osunbiyi promised to get back to our correspondent but as at the time of filing this report he had yet to do so.
“I’m not aware, please I will call you back,” he hurriedly said.
Several calls to his phone were also not answered.
February 16, 2013 by Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja and Segun Olatunji, Abeokuta 9 Comments
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
Loyalists
of former President Olusegun Obasanjo were on Friday removed from
office by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Those sacked from office were the
National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha, and the National Vice-Chairman
(South-West) Mr. Segun Oni.
In Ogun State, the national leadership also sacked the Obasanjo-backed executive led by Senator Dipo Odujinrin.
The decision to remove these officers
were taken at the meeting held in Abuja on Thursday by members of the
National Working Committee.
The meeting was presided over by the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
Mustapha, an ally of Obasanjo, was replaced with Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju.
A statement signed by the PDP National
Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the party took the decision
on the affected officers following series of suits on the congress that
brought them to office.
The statement said, “Following protracted
dispute on the Ogun State and south West Zonal Exco of the Party, a
series of suits were filed on the matter, amongst which include
FHC/L/CS/1248/2011, FHC/L/CS/282/2012 and FHC/L/CS/347/2012
“That Chief Bode Mustapha is removed from office as the National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“That Alhaji Fatai Adewole Adeyanju is the validly elected National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“That the Peoples Democratic Party is to
rectify its records by deleting the name of Chief Bode Mustapha as
National Auditor and replacing the same with Alhaji Fatai Adewole
Adeyanju.
“That the South-West Zonal Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party conducted in March 2012 is nullified.
“That the Executive Committee constituted
for the PDP in Ogun State at congresses conducted by the Bashorun Dayo
Soremi led harmonised Executive Committee for the wards, local
governments and in the state in March 2012 are valid Exco of the Party
at the various levels in Ogun State and are entitled to their 4-year
tenure.
“That the PDP is to organise a fresh
South-West Zonal Congress at which access is to be given to delegates
elected at congresses conducted by or under the supervision of the
Soremi-led Ogun State Executive and accept the candidacy, for offices
zoned to Ogun State, of only the persons nominated at the said
congresses for the said offices.
“The National working Committee of the
Party met on 14th February 2013 and gave careful consideration to the
issues and decided that, in line with respect to the rule of law which
is a cardinal principle of the present administration, the PDP as a law
abiding party, will immediately comply with the said judgment.
“This is all the more so that same has not been set aside or reversed by any superior court.”
At the Ogun State PDP congress conducted by Soremi, Mr. Bayo Dayo, had emerged as the party chairman.
Dayo is being supported by businessman, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, while Obasanjo is backing Odujinrin-led executive.
With the decision to party to embark on
fresh congress in the zone, it may have sealed the dream of the sacked
National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, to return
to office.
Oyinlola was removed from office by an Abuja Federal High Court based on the faulty congress.
But the former governor of Osun State is at the Court of Appeal contesting the decision of the lower court.
In a separate statement, Metuh said the
party had constituted a 17-member committee headed by Chief Ishola
Filani to run the South-West zonal chapter.
The members are Chief Pegba Otemolu,
Secretary; Adedeji Doherty, Organising Secretary; Rasak Akanni, Auditor;
Bolaji Jeje, Youth Leader; Orimolade Olanrewaju, Treasurer; Olawunmi
Yuba, Woman Leader; Banji Obasanmi, Financial Secretary and Shola
Oludipe, Legal Adviser.
Others are Lawal Olatunde, Publicity
Secretary; Emmanuel Oladejo, Olalekan Abubakar, Seun Adesanya, Samiu
Babatunde, Tope Ademiluyi; Tunde Olowofoyeku and Omoniyi Alo (all
ex-officio).
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Ogun State
Executive of the PDP, Chief Adebayo Dayo, has described the decision as
“a victory for the rule of law.”
But the Obasanjo faction denied any knowledge of the action.
Dayo said on the telephone that he would immediately start the moves to reconcile all the estranged members of Ogun PDP.
He also said he had received a letter
from the PDP National Secretariat directing the police in the state to
re-open its state secretariat closed at the height of the crisis in the
state chapter.
Dayo said, “The situation is that for a
very long time, dictatorship has been reigning in so many areas, not
only in our party but all over Nigeria. But this time around our party
sat down, we had a lot of deliberations and they decided that the only
way out is to have a very clean party by following the rule of law. So,
the rule of law has prevailed. Our party does not want any imposition.
We want to have a very clean internal democracy. That is what is
happening now.
The Publicity Secretary of the
Odujinrin-led faction, Mr. Bidemi Osunbiyi, told our correspondent on
the phone that he was not aware that his group had been sacked by the
PDP National Secretariat.
Osunbiyi promised to get back to our correspondent but as at the time of filing this report he had yet to do so.
“I’m not aware, please I will call you back,” he hurriedly said.
Several calls to his phone were also not answered.
Punch
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