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By Chukwudi Nweje
The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tuesday announced the suspension of its Chairman, Chief Philip Olabode Aivoji, and the State Deputy Chairman, Benedict Felix Tai.
Both party leaders were temporarily removed from office pending the determination of a court case instituted by some party members against the executive of the Lagos PDP challenging their continued stay in office.
The party announced the Vice Chairman, West Senatorial District, Sunday Olaifa as Acting Chairman.
A statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Hakeem Amode, said the measures approved at the party’s State Working Committee meeting on Monday, April 25, 2023 are part of the Lagos PDP’s post 2023 review and efforts “on saving the soul of our great party, PDP in Lagos State.
The State Working Committee (SWC) meeting was attended by five members of the SWC including the new acting chairman, Chief Sunday Olaifa; Agboola Akinpelu, Youth Leader; Hakeem Amode, State Publicity Secretary; Ismail Olatunji, State Auditor; and, Adio Salami State, Organising Secretary.
Amode noted that Aivoji and Tai were required to step aside because they are part of the executive dragged to court and therefore cannot adjudicate in their own case.
He stated that the meeting was properly constituted and attended by the required quorum needed to take the decision.
Recall that three members of the original 14 members of the SWC had defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reducing the membership of the SWC 11.
The statement read in part, “The five members in attendance constitute the majority from the original 14 members that form the State working Committee among which three had decamped to the ruling party, reducing the membership of the State Working Committee to eleven.
“The embattled Chairman and his Deputy were part of the eleven remaining members and since they can’t adjudicate in their own case, only nine members were left to take decisions, and five members named above attended today’s meeting and ratified the above as stated.
“Please note that the action taken by the State Working Committee was done in accordance with the PDP constitution and to rebuild and reposition PDP in Lagos State.”
