James Sowole in Abeokuta
For allegedly conducting and participating in illegal primary election, the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday suspended a governorship aspirant of the party, Otunba Jimi Lawal, and four other members of the party.
The four others suspended were Bola Odunmosun, 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 the party, Sunday Solarin, announced their suspension of the five persons at a press briefing at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital.
According to Solarin, Lawal and others were suspended for violating the constitution of the party by conducting and participating in an ‘illegal governorship primary election which was not authorised by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Solarin disclosed that Lawal and others have been suspended for one month pending the outcome of a disciplinary committee which would be setup to review their action.
A Federal High Court in Abeokuta had nullified the primary election of the party which produced Hon. Ladi Adebutu in the state.
The Judge, Justice O.O Oguntoyinbo, had in her judgment ordered the party to conduct fresh primaries within the next 14 days.
The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.
The NWC of the party has, however, vowed to appeal the judgment.
It was gathered that following the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum, the faction of Jimi Lawal staged a factional governorship primary election at an undisclosed location in Abeokuta, the state capital yesterday.
But, the leadership of the party in the state 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.
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 their punishment will be given.
“We were informed that an Illegal congress was going to happen today and that history has it as of this afternoon that’s some people gathered somewhere to carry out an action that not constitutionally or statutorily assigned to them.
“We have also resolved today that Otunba Jimi Lawal is also going to be suspended 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.”
When contacted for reaction, the spokesperson of Lawal’s faction, Austin Oniyokor, did not answer his phone calls by this correspondent, neither did he reply text messages sent to his phone.
