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 Nigeria
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