Confusion Over Oyinlola Pronouncement The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prepares for a special national convention to replace about 20 of its national officers, who vacated their positions last week, strong indication has emerged thatthe party was in a quandary over what to do with the office of national secretary, following the declaration of former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola that the office was not vacant. Chairman of the Special Convention Committee slated for July 20, 2013, Professor Jerry Gana, while speaking with newsmen last weekdeclared that there would be fresh nominations for all the positions declared vacant, excluding the office of national chairman, finance secretary and national auditor of the party. The former national secretary of the party, Prince Oyinlola was removed from his position by the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who premised his action on various court pronouncements, which faulted the South West zonal congress, which he claimed produced Oyinlola and Chief Bode Mustapha as secretary and national auditor. But the axed national secretary, in a letter addressed to Professor Gana committee submitted that his office was not affected by the INEC report, which frowned at the emergence of certain officers of the party through voice votes as against conduct of proper elections, as stipulated in the party guidelines for congresses and conventions. Prince Oyinlola further warned the convention committee not to conduct any election to fill his position, as he noted that the judgment of Justice Abdul Kafarati, which removed him from office was now subject of litigation at the Appeal Court. Part of his letter reads:“I have been informed of the intention of the national convention committee, appointed to conduct a mini-national convention to elect some national officers of the Peoples Democratic Party, whose elections were invalidated by the report of INEC on the conduct of the national convention of March 24, 2012. "It is evident that INEC cleared my election as the PDP national secretary, a position from which I assert and maintain, that I was unjustly and unconstitutionally removed by a January 11, 2013 ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered by the Justice Abdu Kafarati. “I have read series of media reports, which indicated that the position of the national secretary would be contested for at the upcoming national convention of our great party. Let me say that I was taken aback by the pronouncement of the former national publicity secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, who declared, at a briefing of journalists after a meeting of the national working committee with His Excellency, Mr. President, last week that the position of the national secretarywas vacant, giving indications that it would be contested. "I state with every humility that Chapter VII (3) of the PDP Constitution states. ‘The guidelines for elections to any office of the party shall be approved at the national executive committee of the party, in accordance with the provisions of this constitution. "This implies that even if the PDP NEC, or any other body decided that an election be conducted into any office of the party, such an election must be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the extant PDP Constitution. The Professor Jerry Gana committee was now in a dilemma, as to what to do with the position of national scribe following Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s letter. But further investigations also revealed that the Presidency had made up its mind to replace the former Osun State governor with the former organizing secretary of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, whose candidacy for the strategic office was being pushed at the Presidential Villa by former deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Bode George and a chieftain of the party from Ogun State, Chief Buruji Kashamu.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 23:44:56 +0000
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