The decision at the last non-elective convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to dissolve some state executives of the party may derail the party’s process of reconciliation to bring the party back to its former position.
The convention last Saturday dissolved Executives in some states including Lagos. Other states were executives were also dissolved include, Adamawa, Borno, Kebbi, Kwara, Ogun and Osun.
However, those affected by the action of the national leadership of the party have frowned against the action and would not let it go unchallenged.
For instance, Senator Buruji Kashamu representing Ogun-East senatorial district who belong to Ali Modu Sheriff camp that lost out in the last Supreme Court judgment on the authentic leader of the party has described the dissolution as illegal and has expressed determination to challenge the action in a competent court of law.
Kashamu according to a statement on Monday stated that the national leadership of the party violated court order in the dissolution.
He added that the judgment recognising the executive councils in Ogun and the South-West was never appealed and as such is still subsisting.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on August 11 ruled: “That an order is hereby made restraining the 2nd defendant from operating in the South- West zone of the party through any committee in which the applicant, Chief Pegba Otemolu and Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe are not members in the capacity of the secretary and chairman respectively of the South- West zonal executive of PDP pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
“That an order of interim injunction is made restraining the 2nd defendant by itself, its officers, organs and delegates from recognising any harmonisation, restructuring or disruption of PDP leadership structures in the South- West zone (including any purported list of delegates for the special non-elective national convention of PDP schedule for August 12 or any other date during the tenure of office of the South- West Zonal Executive Committee of which the applicant is secretary, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
Kashamu said this order was discountenanced by the National Caretaker Committee (NCC).
He said: “It should be clear to all that Eddy Olafeso never had any case before the Supreme Court that he could benefit from.
“While it could be argued that the congress in Lagos State was inconclusive, the dissolution of the state executives in Osun and Ogun states was a clear travesty of justice. The congresses of these states were affirmed by the National Executive Committee (NEC) before the May 21, 2016 botched convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Kashamu said, “the supremacy of any party’s constitution is subject to the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as clearly stated in Chapter 1, Section 2 of our party’s constitution”.
He added: “The Ogun State PDP executive under the leadership of Adebayo Dayo has a court judgment and orders legitimising it as the duly and validly elected state executive until 2020. This clearly allows the Adebayo Dayo-led executive to remain in office and carry out all its due responsibilities and functions.
“For the above reasons, the Dayo-led executive will remain in office till 2020 regardless of its purported dissolution, because the action taken by NEC and convention of the party is an illegal act. Kashamu believed the dissolution was done to satisfy some leaders of the party in South-west like Ayo Fayose, governor of Ekiti State and Chief Bode George, former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party.
But reacting to Kashamu’s allegations, Chief Ola Apena, former Vice-Chairman, Lagos to court to challenge the matter.
He said, “He has been a close ally of cash and carry judges. Let him go to court and see how far he can go. He and his accomplices were in different courts on Thursday last week just 48 hours to the convention with the intention of stopping it but they were told to come back a Monday after the convention.
Apena further described the action of Kashamu as desperation of a drawn man. He insisted that the present action would jeopardise the ongoing effort to reposition the party at levels. “He had his ways when he has collaborators at Wadata Plaza, but the tide has change against him.” According to Apena, the party is not prepared to give anyone opportunity to derail its programme as was done in the past.
Apena promised that the leadership of the party would take an appropriate action on Kashamu’s new offensive against the party very soon because, according to him, the days of impunity in the party are gone saying the new PDP believe in discipline if it must move forward. (Daily Independent)
