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From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, on Monday evening, announced the suspensio of a governorship aspirant of the party, Jimi Lawal for allegedly conducting and participating in an “illegal” governorship primary election.
The party also suspended Bola Odumosu, the Financial Secretary of the party; Fasiu Ajadi, Kola Akinyemi and Tope Asiru, the party chairman of Ijebu Northeast local government area.
The State Secretary of Ogun PDP, Sunday Solarin, while announcing suspension at a press briefing held at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital, said that Lawal and four others were suspended for violating the constitution of the party by conducting and participating in an “illegal” governorship primary election not authorized by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Solarin disclosed that the erring party members would be on one month suspension pending the outcome of a disciplinary committee which would be set up to review their actions.
A Federal High court sitting in Abeokuta had nullified the primary election of the party which produced Ladi Adebutu in the state.
The presiding judge, Justice O.O Oguntoyinbo in her judgement ordered the party to conduct fresh primaries within the next 14 days.
The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing Adebutu as a governorship candidate of the party in the state.
The NWC of the party had however declared to appeal the judgement of the Federal High Court.
It was gathered that following the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum given by the court, the faction of the party loyal to Lawal staged a fresh governorship primary election at an undisclosed location in Abeokuta, the state capital on Monday.
But, the State Executive Committee of the party speaking through Solarin, after an emergency meeting on Monday, condemned the action of Lawal and members of his faction, insisting that PDP would not condone any action directed at putting the party into disrepute in the state.
Solarin while handing down the suspension said, “All of these shenanigans will be put to bed and we have resolved that the principal actors of the illegal primary election will be exposed. They have been found to have transgressed the laws of the party and there punishment will be given.
He, however, said that the Ogun PDP was not unaware of the external influence by some members of the ruling party in the state to fan the ember of discord with the party, noting that the Ogun PDP would unravel and expose all the people behind the intra party wrangling.
“We were informed that an Illegal congress was going to happen and that history has it as of this afternoon that some people gathered somewhere to carry out an action that was not constitutionally or statutorily assigned to them.
“We have also resolved today that Jimi Lawal is also going to be on suspension with immediate effect because he participated actively in a congress not conducted by the State Executives of the party, an action which has been found to bring the party into disrepute.
“We must also emphasize the fact that in a house where discipline is missing, definitely such a house will not raise good children and they are not going to raise good ambassadors for that family.
“Because PDP is a house that believes in the Rule of Law, it is a house built by our forefathers, managed by all of us and we are not going to open our eyes and allow some dissidents to destroy the house, and therefore we must tow the path of discipline by showing them the way. So, they are suspended for the next one month in which case the disciplinary committee will be set up and they will be invited to come and explain the action they took, the reason why their suspension will not be elongated or the reason why it will not be translated to expulsion”.
When contacted for reaction, the spokesperson of Lawal’s faction, Austin Oniyokor, did not pick calls put to him by our correspondent, neither did he reply to messages sent to his phone.
