Oyinlola: Battle looms at PDP headquarters

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A violent clash is looming at the Peoples Democratic Party headquarters, as there are indications that the reinstated National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is determined to resume there on either Monday or Tuesday despite the opposition of the mainstream PDP.

Continue after the break.

While Oyinlola is insisting on resuming, the Bamanga Tukur faction of the party maintains that it has not taken any decision on the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which reinstated the former Osun State governor as the PDP national secretary.   A source close to Oyinlola, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja on Friday, said the former governor was consulting on the verdict of the Court of Appeal.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Oyinlola is consulting. As a lawyer, he knows the implication of the judgment and he is ready to resume soon.

“If he does not resume on Monday, he will be there on Tuesday. Don’t forget that the Court of Appeal has not heard or granted any stay of execution."

The source added that Oyinlola would be accompanied by his supporters when he resumes so that “Oyinlola would not be harassed by members of the main PDP.”

But feelers from the mainstream PDP, which controls the headquarters show that Oyinlola would not be allowed to enter the office.  The PDP National Secretary recognised by the Bamanga Tukur faction, Prof. Wale Oladipo, had on Wednesday said he remained the party’s secretary. Already, the party’s National Working Committee has scheduled an emergency meeting for Monday, the day Oyinlola is expected to resume.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Kawu Baraje faction of the PDP, Mr. Chukwuemeka  Eze, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Friday,  said Oyinlola did not need to take another oath of office before resuming as the PDP’s national secretary.  Eze argued that what Justice Abdul Kafarati of a Federal High Abuja did in January was to ask Oyinlola to step aside until the determination of the suit.

He stated that now that the Court of Appeal had recognised Oyinlola as the authentic secretary all he needed do was simply to go to his office and begin to function.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Bamanga faction, Mr. Olisa Metuh, however told SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja on Friday that the party had yet to see the Court of Appeal judgment.  He explained that members of the party’s NWC read and heard about it via the media.  He said, “The National Chairman of our party, Bamanga Tukur, is currently out of the country.

“We just heard about this judgment in the media like everybody else, we expect that our chairman will return this weekend and we will study the judgment, listen to legal advice and make our position public this weekend. We have nothing to hide.”

He was however non-committal when asked about the specific day such a public announcement should be expected.  The Legal Adviser of the party, Mr. Victor Kwom, had earlier said the party was still studying the judgment as such it would be hasty to offer an opinion.

But Eze warned that Oladipo would be doing himself and democracy a lot of good if he stopped parading himself as the party’s national secretary.  Eze said, “Oyinlola doesn’t need any oath of office to return to work as PDP national secretary.  

“He subscribed to the oath of office alongside other members of the NWC that were sworn in at the Eagle Square on March 24, 2012.

“The lower court invalidated his election on January 11, 2003 and the appellate court returned Oyinlola to office on November 6, 2013. That rendered the Federal High Court ruling null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”

The New PDP (Baraje faction) further said Tukur  must obey the Court of Appeal judgment that reinstated  Oyinlola. It said Tukur and other leaders of the party had no excuse not to allow Oyinlola assume office in line with the court pronouncement on the issue. Also, a member of the party loyal to the seven aggrieved governors, Senator Danladi Sankara, said the judgment did not come to him and other members of the group as a surprise.

He said,

“The court judgment only affirmed our long held position that Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola is the secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party.  “We have known all along that the Peoples Democratic Party led by Kawu Baraje is the authentic PDP, I don’t know what the problem is.”

Meanwhile, the executive of the PDP Ogun State chapter, has explained why it has asked the Supreme Court to stop Oyinlola from being reinstated as national Secretary of the PDP. Speaking to one of our correspondents on Friday, the Chairman, Ogun PDP, Adebayo Dayo, said, “We have already gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the reinstatement. I can assure you, at the end of the day, it will be nothing good to talk about with Oyinlola.

“Oyinlola has gone to another party; he said he now belongs to the New PDP. He is no more one of us. It is a very straightforward case. He has the constitutional right to go to court at anytime; we also have the right to appeal, which we have done.”

Dayo and the Secretary,  Semiu Sodipo, through their counsel, Ajibola Oluyede, had proceeded to the apex court on Thursday to challenge the Wednesday judgment of the Court of Appeal that ordered Oyinlola’s reinstatement for and on behalf of other state officers.

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