ABEOKUTA – Barely few hours Segun Showunmi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state closed ranks with Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu faction, the Ogun state chapter of the PDP on Monday suspended a governorship aspirant of the party, Otunba Jimi Lawal for allegedly conducting and participating in an “illegal” governorship primary election.
Lawal, was suspended along side four others who are: 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 Secretary of the party, Sunday Solarin announced their suspension at a press briefing at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital.
According to Solarin, Lawal and the others were suspended for violating the constitution of the party by conducting and participating in an “illegal” governorship primary election which was not authorized by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Solarin disclosed that, Lawal and the 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 sitting in Abeokuta had nullified the primary election of the party which produced Hon. Ladi Adebutu in the state.
The presiding judge, Justice O.O Oguntoyinbo in her judgement ordered the party to conduct fresh primaries within the next 14 days.
The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Hon. Ladi Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.
The NWC of the party has, however, vowed to appeal the judgement.
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 on Monday.
But, the leadership of the party in the state, condemned the action of Lawal and members of his faction, insisting that PDP would not condole 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 principals 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 are not constitutionally or statutorily assigned to them.
“We have also resolved today that Otunba Jimi Lawal is also going to be on suspension 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.
“We must also emphasis the fact that in a house where discipline is missing definitely such house will not raise good children and they are not going to raise good ambassador for that family.
“Because PDP is a house that believes in the rule of law, it is a house built by our forefathers, managed by all of us we are not going to open our eyes and allow some dissidence to destroy the house and therefore we must tow the path of discipline by showing them the way, so they are suspended for the next one month in which case the disciplinary committee will be setup and they will be invited to come and explain the action they took, the reason why their suspension will not be elongated or the reason why it will not be translated to expulsion”.
But in a swift reaction, the Project Director, Jimi Adebisi Lawal Campaign Organization, Austin Oniyokor described the suspension as weeping of a beaten and battered premature adult.
Oniyokor in a press release confirmed that Jimi Lawal has been declared winner of the court-ordered rerun governorship primary in the state.
He said it was a sad commentary on Nigeria’s democracy and rule of law for some lawless individuals to gathered under a remote control of one of the aspirants and claimed to have suspended party stalwarts for complying with subsisting court orders and judgements.
Oniyokor stressed further that, “The purported suspension of the just elected governorship candidate of the Ogun state PDP, Otunba Jimi Adebisi Lawal (JAL) is nothing but the weeping of a beaten and battered premature adult. It is the case of the voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau.
“It is the irony of our political space and system that those who are contemptuous of valid and subsisting judgments and orders of court could turn round to claim that they have suspended law-abiding citizens.
“Clearly, this contemptuous act cannot stand the test of time and the law. All their contemptuous acts will be taken before the court and the full weight of the law will be visited on them in due course.
“Until then, we want to appeal to all our party leaders, elders, supporters, and the general public to remain firm in the face of the needless provocation. This political gymnastics will soon pass like others before it.”
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