Appeal Court Verdict Fuels PDP Crisis As Anti-Oyinlola Forces Mull Expulsion From Party

Tukur-and-Oyinlola-360x225The crisis in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not come to an end anytime soon as there are fresh plots to ensure that Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who was recently reinstated by the Court of Appeal as the party’s Secretary, does not resume office.

This is just as the Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led New Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the leadership of the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee, NWC, to facilitate Oyinlola’s assumption of office.

In a statement yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Chukwuemeka Eze, said with the judgment of the appellate court, the days of Bamanga Tukur and other members of his NWC are numbered.

Eze said the court had vindicated the New PDP’s position that the Tukur-led PDP is characterized by a reign of impunity.

The statement continued: “This is just one of the anomalies we have been complaining of that came about due to lack of internal democracy in our party.

“It was occasioned by the undemocratic elements that hijacked the structure of our party and we are relying so much on the judiciary to help us in addressing other anomalies that gave rise to our present struggle and restore hope back to our party.

“This judgment has, once again, reinforced our belief in the judiciary as the bastion of our democracy and the last hope of the common man.

“We commend and congratulate the Judiciary for taking a firm stand on the truth in the face of the plot by some unpatriotic elements to cause confusion in the PDP, with a view to destroying this great institution which some of us have laboured for many years to build.”

Eze hoped that the New PDP would secure victory in its other pending court cases seeking the sacking of the Tukur-led NWC of the PDP.

“We hope that very soon, our other court cases asking for the dissolution of the Tukur-led NWC would be given the same serious attention to enable us formally take over the reins of our party and restore it to the path of honour, justice and democratic norms, which Tukur and his cohorts have bastardised.

“The sacking of the entire illegal NWC is, however, necessary to create room for the replacement of the current membership with patriotic party leaders, who would join Prince Oyinlola in rebuilding the party, which has suffered so much in the hands of Tukur and his co-travellers.

“The National Legal Adviser who saw to Prof. Wale Oladipo’s swearing in within 24 hours after his own court victory, should apply the same treatment to the authentic national secretary of PDP and stop portraying our party as a lawless party by attempting to delay his swearing in ceremony in obedience to a court ruling aimed at repositioning our party,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Oyinlola, who is the Secretary of the New PDP, has asked the Tukur faction to reinstate him in compliance with the court judgment.

But, that request may hit a brick wall as it was learnt that hawks in PDP have commenced a subtle plot to expel Oyinlola from the party.

Oyinlola, who made his position known in a terse statement in Abuja, said the PDP should reinstate him back to office with the same speed with which he was removed.

He said: “I give glory to God that my stand that I was unjustly removed has been vindicated by the Appeal Court. The position of the law and the Constitution of the PDP on this matter are very clear.

“I don’t want to pre-empt anybody but you would remember that the PDP immediately complied with the judgment of Justice Kafarati which removed me from office, claiming to be a law-abiding organisation.

“I don’t know if there will be a variance of stand now that the appellate court has ruled in favour of Oyinlola that the Kafarati judgment was unfair and must not be allowed to stand. Let’s leave other issues for consideration as events unfold.

“This development further reinforces my belief in the fact that truth is unassailable, and that the path of truth may be long; arrival at its destination is, however, definite.”

It was learnt that some few hours after the appellate court’s judgment, some forces in PDP came up with “Plan B” – to expel Oyinlola from the party.

The proponents of this particular course of action believe that it would force the Supreme Court to declare the PDP’s appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal as “having been overtaken by event.”

-The Nation

1 COMMENT

  1. Chukwuemeka eze is oyinola still a member of pdp no,so why will pdp suspend someone that belongs to new pdp & not pdp,we will not allow him to resume becos he has denounce his membership,he can secetary general in 2 political party,so he will definetly loose in supreme court,the evidences are there.