A fresh crisis hit the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) on Friday as a Federal High
Court in Abuja endorsed another
National Secretary for the party.
Justice Abdul Kafarati ordered that the
PDP and the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) should list
Professor Wale Oladipo as the National
Secretary of the party in place of Prince
Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who was ordered
removed by the judge in January this
year.
The National Executive Committee (NEC)
of the party had, in June this year
appointed Dr Remi Akintoye from Lagos
as the party’s acting National Secretary
pending the determination of an appeal
of the court order by Oyinlola.
Prof Oladipo was a nominee from a
“South-West extra-ordinary zonal
congress.” The court further ordered
both PDP and INEC to delete the name
of Oyinlola from their records as PDP’s
National Secretary.
Justice Kafarati also extended to July 13
this year the time limit he had granted
in his January 11 judgment for the
conduct of the zonal congress.
The court also deemed Prof Oladipo’s
nomination by the congress as
replacement for Oyinlola “as proper and
in due compliance with the January 11
judgment.”
The ruling followed a Motion on Notice
filed by the Ogun State chapter of the
party, through its chairman and
secretary, Adebayo Dayo and Semiu
Sodipo respectively, seeking for the
replacement of Oyinlola.
Joined as defendants in the suit were
Oyinlola, PDP and INEC.
Saturday Tribune recalls that the court
had, on January 11, ordered the
removal of Oyinlola from office and the
conduct of a fresh congress by the
South-West PDP for the purpose of
nominating a replacement.
Justice Kafarati further discountenanced
arguments by Oyinlola and PDP that the
court was functus officio, having earlier
delivered a judgment in the case.
He held that the fresh application was
neither meant to reopen the case nor to
effect changes on the earlier delivered
judgment, but to regularise the steps
taken in compliance with the judgment.
On Oyinlola’s argument that the court
could no longer consider the
application because he had appealed
the judgment, the judge held that the
application would have no effect on the
judgment and the appeal filed.
He noted that there was no evidence
before the court that the record in
respect of Oyinlola’s appeal had been
transmitted to the appellate court.
Justice Kafarati held that the mere filing
of a notice of appeal does not serve as
a ground to stay proceedings.
The judge, however, refused attempt by
applicants’ counsel, Babs Akinwunmi, to
move a motion ex-parte seeking leave
for substituted service of court
documents relating to a pending
contempt case on Oyinlola, factional
Chairman of PDP, Kawu Baraje, and a
chieftain of the party, Sam Sam Jaja.
Akinwunmi had told the court that the
applicants had made unsuccessful
attempts to effect personal service of
the documents on the three alleged
contemnors.
The judge advised the applicants to file
fresh affidavit indicating the failed
attempts they had made to serve the
defendants.
Apart from Oyinlola, there have been
two other contending groups in the PDP
angling to land the post: the Lagos
group led by Chief Bode George, which
produced the NEC-sanctioned acting
secretary, Akintoye; and the Kasamu
Buruji group, which believes it should
produce Oyinlola’s replacement having
been the one that got him removed.
There are other party leaders who
showed interest in contesting for the
post, but an Osogbo High Court in
August restrained the party from
conducting the election for the post
pending the determination of Oyinlola’s
appeal.
Meanwhile, Governor Godswill Akpabio
of Akwa Ibom State, has declared that
the fate of over 167 million Nigerians
cannot be left in the hands of the
opposition “which continues to change
its name like chameleons.”
“The opposition is in disarray. They
have changed name six times. I urge
Nigerians to rely on PDP to deliver the
much-expected dividends of
democracy,” he said.
Akpabio spoke on behalf of the PDP at
the burial of the wife of the former
Minister for Information, Justice Regina
Obiageli Nwodo.
The governor, who fell short of
mentioning the All Progressives
Congress (APC) and the New Peoples
Democratic Party (New PDP), said the
present administration would not hand
over the reins of power to such political
office seekers in the country.
When contacted on the ruling, one of
the leading contenders to the position,
Chief Ebenezer Babatope, said his
loyalty to the party and commitment to
the aspiration of President Goodluck
Jonathan remained absolutely
unchangeable, and declined further
comments.
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