AS political parties across the country continue to hold their congresses and conventions, members of the ruling party in Ogun State, the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] are at daggers drawn aiming for the soul of the party.
At the centre of the struggle are two groups with one believed to be the Governor Olugbenga Daniel group in control of the party structure, the other led by Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye are struggling to take over the party machinery in the state.
While Daniel’s group comprises mostly politicians in the state including one Senator, four House of Representatives members, his commissioners, 11 members of the State House of Assembly, Special Advisers, Special Assistants and Local Government Chairmen and the Party Executive, the other group led by Martins Kuye has some very influential politicians including two Senators- Iyabo Obasanjo Bello and Lekan Mustapha; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole and four of his colleagues; 15 members of the House of Assembly led by Speaker Tunji Egbetokun; Chief Sule Onabiyi; former secretary to the State Government; Alh. Sarafa Tunji Ishola and Dr. Doyin Okupe.
The crisis has been on for sometime and efforts made to resolve it had been to no avail. Even a decision by the National Working Committee that the party executive be harmonized to accommodate the two groups did not yield any fruitful result as the Daniel group bluntly refused arguing that the aggrieved members were part of the election that produced the executive. Even a Presidential visit to the state expected to “put out the fire” did not do so.
Two Sundays ago however, hope appeared in sight for the resolution of the crisis when former President Olusegun Obasanjo believed to be sympathetic to the Martins-Kuye group invited the two groups to a meeting at his expansive Hill Top home in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The issues were not resolved, but an eight member Committee led by Senator Ayo Otegbola was set up to harmonize areas of differences and make appropriate recommendations. The committee members from the two groups as members. Members of the party waited with baited breath expecting the committee’s report.
Party secretary suspended
Events however took a shocking dimension on Tuesday when the Martins Kuye group held a meeting and called a press conference addressed by the Chairman of the harmonized executive, Bashorun Dayo Soremi where the State Secretary of the Party, Chief Pegba Otemolu was suspended and the Assistant Secretary, Alh Semiu Sodipo appointed in his place in an acting capacity.
The meeting was attended by such influential people as K uye, , Alh Sule Onabiyi, Dr. Doyin Okupe, Chief Dayo Abatan, Prince Buriji Kasham, members of House of Representative – Mr. Dave Salako and Chief Segun Osibote-, former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Sarafa Tunji Ishola, Navy Capt. Rasheed Raji and Chief Babatunde Fadun.
Addressing the news conference after the meeting , Bashorun Soremi said that the suspension of Otemolu was due “to activities capable of derailing electoral process of the party, dishonest attitude likely to cause disaffection and disunity among the members of the party”
Soremi said that the National Secretariat of the party would be notified that the party had arranged the screening exercise of aspirants to take place at the Onikolobo Secretariat of the party to prevent it from being misled into taking actions that would be tantamount to contempt of a subsisting Court order.
He also said that venues of the ward congresses and various primaries had been compiled and were being forwarded to the National Secretariat to facilitate ease of operation.
Explaining why the far reaching decision were taken, Bashorun Soremi said that some members of the party led by Governor Daniel did not accept the recommendation of the eight- member committee set up at the last reconciliation meeting held at the home of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He said that the report of the Committee headed by Senator Ayo Otegbola recommended that for good reconciliation, the House of Assembly should be reopened under the leadership of Speaker Tunji Egbetokun, harmonization of elective posts by the two groups and sharing of the membership of the caretaker committees to be set up when the Local Government Councils are dissolved at the end of the month.
He said: “when the harmonization of the Executive was done, the Governor said he would not accept which prompted the last meeting we held at Baba Obasanjo’s place. Some solutions that were recommended by the committee set up was not palatable and he said he was moving out of the negotiation
“Daniel wants everything for himself, he refused the issue of the reopening of the House under Egbetokun because he is scared of impeachment and he wants the list of caretaker committee 100 percent”
Chairman counters suspension
But the Chairman of the party, Elder Joju Fadairo, the following day cried foul saying that the people who held the meeting did not have the locus standi and that all their decisions were null and void as there had been no harmonization of any executive.
Addressing the media at the State Secretariat with members of the State Working Committee in attendance, Fadairo said that there was no court order restraining him as Chairman and that Otemolu remained the party Secretary. Moreover, he said that the report of the Ayo Otegbola Committee was still being awaited.
He said: “The meeting they held was illegal and therefore all decisions from such illegal gathering is a nullity. By the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, the only organ that can call an extended meeting of such nature is led by me, Chief Joju Fadairo being the de jure and defacto Chairman of the party in the state. Unfortunately I was not aware of such a meeting and no such meeting was convened by me or at my instance.”
Fadairo explained how the issues degenerated this far and said “in order to appreciate the devilish design of this group who have refused to heed every wise counsel, I wish to furnish you with some of the failed desperate steps they have taken to illegally take over the State Executive Committee of which I am the Chairman. First and foremost, Semiu Sodipo claiming to be the ‘Chairman’ of our party instituted an action at the Federal High Court, Lagos Division before Justice Okeke, suing our great party and naming me and Chief Otemolu who is purportedly suspended by their illegal association as defendants.
“Secondly, Dayo Soremi also claiming to be ‘Chairman’ of our party, also instituted his own action before the Federal High Court and in the third instance, Monsurudeen Babatunde Osholake also instituted his own action before the same Justice Okeke of the Federal High Court Lagos, claiming to be ‘Chairman’ of our party, joining myself, Chief Pegba Otemolu and our party as co-defendants.
I can assure you things have fallen apart amongst these detractors as evidenced by their recent in house power struggle and rat race.
“In a dog-eat-dog style, the final straw that broke the ranks of these agents of destruction bent on destabilizing our party before defecting to the rival party is the legal action brought by Senator Osholake on one hand against Semiu Sodipo on the other hand.
In the said suit currently pending before the Federal High Court Abeokuta Division, Senator Monsurudeen Babatunde Osholake claimed to be the authentic party ‘Chairman’ having been elected by his group in a convention that took place in Senator Jubril Martins Kuye’s living room in Ago Iwoye. Senator Osholake therefore prayed for an injunction restraining Chief Dayo Soremi from parading himself as the Chairman of their illegal group.
“It is crystal clear from the above scenario that these sponsored agents of destabilization are not with us, but totally against us. They lack the fear of God and respect for constituted authority. Despite the fact that all these cases instituted by these people of shady character are still pending before the court, they have chosen to take law into their hands.
They have resolved to show preference for the rule of men who are their godfathers in preference for the rule of law”
On alleged flouting of the September court order restraining him from parading himself as Chairman of the party, Fadairo said that the injunction had vacated itself after seven days and it was not renewed adding that if the applicants had gone back to court, it would have been renewed for seven days after it would lapse.
“There is no injunction restraining me as Chairman. I was at the 55th National Executive Council meeting of the party in Abuja last week. I was there and was duly recognized.”
Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com/
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