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  • APC ready for Akala, Folarin others

    APC ready for Akala, Folarin others

    All is set for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State to welcome former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin, Rauf Olaniyan, and other top politicians from opposition parties this weekend.

    In a statement by its spokesman, Olawale Sadare, Oyo State APC said the top politicians would be received officially at the historic Mapo Hall in Ibadan, the capital, on Saturday.

    With the calibre of defectors, the APC said opposition activities in the political dispensation would be further grounded.

    Other politicians to officially join the APC are: former Deputy Governor Taofeek Arapaja, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Ayodele Adigun, of Accord and member of House of Representatives, Segun Odebunmi, of the PDP.

    Others include Ayoola Makanjuola and Alhaji Rasaq Gbadegesin.

    They will lead their supporters into the APC at what the party called a mega rally.

    APC described the defection as the mother of all defections in Oyo.

    The party added that some of the bigwigs had joined its fold since last year while others were just joining.

    The statement reads: “With the calibre of active and experienced political players coming on board to reinvigorate our great party ahead of the 2019 general election, it is pertinent to state here that the battle for the soul of the state to determine who takes over from the trail blazer, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, would be fought and won only within the APC.

    “With all intents and purposes, we crave for a viable opposition as a necessary impetus for good governance and democracy growth in the Pacesetter State, but what the combination of the PDP, LP and Accord had offered in the last couple of years fell below the standard, thereby necessitating the need for the ruling APC to activate its check and balance mechanism for the good of the process.

    “Apparently, the sterling performance of Governor Ajimobi in the last six years, coupled with his exemplary leadership qualities, must have appealed to the patriotic zeal in the new entrants, who are coming in to strengthen the APC and thus put paid to irresponsible politics of opposition, which some lazy bones and few unscrupulous elements still promote to actualise selfish goals.”

  • Delegates stand for Ladoja, Akala at PDP parley

    Delegates stand for Ladoja, Akala at PDP parley

    Two former governors of Oyo State – Rashidi Ladoja and Adebayo Alao-Akala – were represented at a parley of some Oyo and Osun chieftains of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) with National Caretaker Chairman Ahmed Makarfi in Abuja yesterday.

    Senator Femi Lanlehin told the meeting that he was representing Ladoja.

    Mr. Wale Ohu said he stood in for ALao-Akala.

    It was the clearest indication that Ladoja, who left the PDP to become the promoter of Accord party and Alao-Akala, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), might be on their way back to the PDP.

    Former Senate Deputy Chief Whip Senator Hosea Agboola told our correspondent that the two former governors had agreed to rejoin the PDP

    Agboola said: “Yes, I can confirm to you that the two former governors have agreed to return to the PDP. They said they are coming but they have not come yet”.

    Some of the other PDP leader at the parley awere: Senators Iyiola Omisore, Akinlabi  Olasunkanmi, Senator Olu Alabi, Senator  Femi Fani-Kayode, Senator Lanlehin and Senator Agbooola, among others

    Makarfi cautioned party members against the culture of impunity, for the party to make progress.

    Warning against cutting corners to achieve ambitions, the party chair said such actions could be counter productive, stressing that the culture of impunity was partly responsible for the party’s past crises.

    He said: “We must stop cutting corners. We live in a high litigious society. When you cut corners thinking that nobody will see you, a lot of people have seen you. At a time you least expect, somebody will drag you to court again. Therefore, what is worth doing is worth doing well”.

    Stating that internal wrangling could only weaken the PDP, Makarfi said nobody stands to gain from disunity.

    “We are not in politics to suffer but (to) form government. PDP was the dominant party but internal crises caused us to lose the election”, he added.

    He stressed the need to consolidate the party’s recent victory at the Supreme Court by doing the right thing all the time.

    Makarfi said: “Political victory means expanding the scope of the party, reconciling with the reconcilable and attracting members into the party that will enable us regain political power at the centre by overwhelming majority,” he stated.

    “Some of us that have been occupied by power acquisition, whether they are in the party or they are contemplating to come into the party, ?they are more glued to the acquisition of political power, that can derail the party.

    “Let’s build a strong and virile political party. Let there be a level playing field for people to freely choose who they want to present as party’s candidates. That is the surest way to get to power come 2019. That is what internal democracy entails.

    “While opening our doors wide to all and sundry, the party must be conscious that the structure must not be compromised in a way that diminishes the enthusiasm.

    “I will stick to the party guidelines and constitution in doing whatever we do. We must consult on fundamental issues, use consensus as much as possible and move forward”.

    The party chairman assured the gathering of neutrality, objectivity and transparency in the running of the affairs of the party by entrenching the culture of inclusiveness.

    Makarfi enjoined those shopping for platforms to feed their political ambitions rather than building the party to have a rethink.

  • Akala zigzagging

    Allocation mentality was on display when former Oyo State governor Otunba Christopher Alao Akala expressed a parochial understanding of wealth creation by government for the purpose of good governance. He inadvertently lent credence to the critical argument that the dependency of state governments on allocations from the Federal Government is a dent on the concept and practice of federalism.

    Listen to Akala explaining why he reportedly said: “I thank God I lost 2015 governorship election.” He was quoted as saying: “I said that because I pitied the governors because of what they are going through now. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep with these dwindling monthly allocations. That was the reason why I said that. I don’t know how I would have coped. I am hypertensive already and I don’t know what I would have done. I pray it doesn’t go beyond that”. There is a hint of sour grapes here.

    Beyond that, to go by his words, Akala would have been not only financially challenged but also creatively challenged. The creation of wealth outside the context of central allocation demands creativity in the sphere of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Without discounting the weight of federal allocation, it can be argued that if a governor lacks the creative spark to generate revenue domestically to enhance centrally allocated funds, such a situation would compound the complications of governance.

    The setting is significant. The ex-governor said he was at the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to “hold talks with the leadership of the party”. Akala was a Labour Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate in last year’s election and lost to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the APC.  He was quoted as saying: “If I am not satisfied, I will not join the APC. I have a choice. I’m in the APC because I am satisfied with the change.”

    Curiously, Akala’s observation on the financial difficulties of the incumbent governors and his self-confessed hypertension may not be enough reasons for him to dump his ambition to be a governor again. His answer on whether he intends to seek votes in 2019 exposed internal contradictions. He said: “When we get to the bridge, we shall cross it. This is just 2016. Time will tell wherever anybody wants to go. Why do you try to ask God about 2019 now? Do you know whether you will sleep and wake up tomorrow? Let’s leave 2019 to God.”

    Perhaps Akala is optimistic that federal allocations would have improved by 2019, or even that his hypertension would have improved by then. Clearly, Akala needs to improve the quality of his thinking by doing quality thinking.

  • How Akala’s defection is changing Oyo APC dynamics

    How Akala’s defection is changing Oyo APC dynamics

    The defection of ex-Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala to the All Progressives Congress (APC) would, all things being equal, reinforce the dominance of the ruling party in the state, writes Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo

    The months and weeks that preceded the last governorship election in Oyo State was tension-soaked.

    With the incumbent governor, two former governors and a former Senate Leader as the leading candidates, not a few political observers predicted a dead heat in what later turned out to be the most keenly contested governorship election in the history of the state.

    But of all the candidates on parade, it was perhaps ex-governor Rashidi Ladoja, the candidate of the Accord Party (AP) that posed the biggest threat to the second term ambition of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    From relative political obscurity, Ladoja had transformed AP to a household brand in Oyo State, commanding huge followership in Ibadan, Oyo, Oke Ogun and Ibarapa zones.

    Worried by this development, state and national leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had made several overtures to another former governor of the State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, to defect to the party in order to strengthen it ahead the election. For many weeks, Ajimobi allegedly reached out to Akala, asking him to come on board, but all to no avail.

    As bait, the former governor was offered the Oyo North Senatorial ticket by the APC leadership, but Akala spurned the offers and instead moved to the Labour Party which was already home to a wing of the APC.

    According to sources, Akala reportedly told his suitors that it was too late for him to forgo his governorship ambition, while allegedly adding that he also fancied his chances of emerging victorious at the polls.

    That Akala eventually defected to LP on the day his former party, PDP, held its governorship primary in Ibadan, the state capital, was disappointing for APC leaders in the state.

    While reacting to Alao-Akala’s defection, Oke had wondered why the ex-governor joined the LP instead of APC, where he claimed his chances of success were brighter.

    Affirming the popularity of the former governor in the state, Oke said although APC had no intention of offering him its governorship ticket, the former governor would have easily clinched the party’s North Senatorial ticket as compensation.

    Oke said: “Incidentally, Alao-Akala is my brother; we come from the same town and zone. I know his weight, he has a formidable weight. But I think he miscalculated by going to LP and he is going to regret it.

    “If I were in his shoes, rather than go to the LP, I would have gone to the APC since he is aggrieved with the PDP. I know he will eventually regret his decision.”

    The state APC chairman added that most ex-governors ended up in the Senate, adding that the party would have given Akala the chance to go to the National Assembly on a platter of gold.

    “Surely, we could have given him the senatorial ticket but with the place he has gone to, I am very sure he cannot win. It is going to cost him more and he will still not win. That is why I think he will regret the decision later. I don’t know who advised him to take that decision, but I know that whoever talked him into it gave him a wrong impression,” said Oke.

    As it later turned out, the incumbent governor beat all comers to the plum seat, with Ladoja, Akala and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Teslim Folarin, coming first, second and third runners-up respectively.

    First to concede defeat and congratulate the governor was Folarin and later Akala, both of whom declared that the outcome of the election reflected the true wishes of the people of the state. Ladoja would, however, have none of this. He alleged massive rigging and manipulation of the election, vowing to seek redress in the court.

    Fresh overtures begins

    No sooner had the election ended and the governor was inaugurated for a second term that speculations about Akala’s planned defection to the APC resurfaced again.

     The former governor, it was learnt, had met with a national leader of the APC, former national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande and Governor Abiola Ajimobi over the matter.

    One of the terms of a deal struck during his meetings with the APC leaders include being made the leader of the APC in Ogbomosho, in addition to his nomination of the chairmen for the five councils in the zone and commissionership and special advisers’ slots in the governor’s cabinet.

    Rough edges in the deal, The Nation gathered, were ironed out during a meeting involving him, Ajimobi and the state chairman of the party, Chief Akin Oke, at the instance of the governor in London some weeks ago.

    Matters arising

    The decision to hand Alao-Akala the leadership of APC in Ogbomosho is said to be generating ripples in the party, as the Senator representing Oyo North, Abdufatal Buhari, was said to be uncomfortable with the decision. Akala, Oke and Buhari all hail from Ogbomosho.

    The disagreement, it was gathered, made Ajimobi to schedule a meeting involving Oke, Buhari and himself at the residence of Chief Akande, who reportedly appealed to the duo to accommodate Akala.

    Oke’s prediction came to pass

    Banking on the assurances from some prominent leaders of APC, Akala, a few weeks ago, put paid to speculations surrounding his political future by formally announcing his defection to the APC. He also instructed his supporters to register with the party at the ward level for their formal integration into the party.

    Buhari jittery

    One man not smiling at all with Akala’s coming to APC is Senator Buhari. The lawmaker, sources disclosed, is allegedly worried that his purported second term ambition could go up in smoke if Akala shows interest in the seat as he may likely do.

    The former member of the House of Representatives has every cause to be worried. Within Ogbomosho, he is far less popular than Akala, who appears to command a cult-like followership in the ancient town and some parts of Oke Ogun.

    Indeed, in the last National Assembly election held on March 28, Buhari reportedly lost in Ogbomosho with the bulk of votes that earned him victory coming from the Oke Ogun axis.

    His opponents however dismiss his chances against Buhari. Beside his famed popularity which they argue is phantom, they also point to his alleged failing health which they pointed out, would slow him down when real campaign for the next general elections kick off.

    Can Akala hold forte?

    Not a few political observers have pointed out that with the second term of the incumbent governor ending in 2019, a new political heavyweight of Akala’s stature needed to be brought into the party to keep it going post-2019.

    Some have, in fact, expressed fears that the governor’s political capital (like most second term governors) would have plummeted in the next four years and that early efforts must be made to attract other heavyweights to the APC and reposition it for the many battles that lie ahead.

    Potential challenges

    For Akala’s political associates outside Ogbomosho, defecting with him to the APC may not be a stroll in the park after all. This, sources say, may not be unconnected to the local peculiarities that have shaped the politics of such areas.

    Take the case of Oyo town where the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who is largely sympathetic to the APC, has a huge influence in the politics of the ancient town.

    Akala’s associates in the town, led by Kamil Akinlabi, a former member of the House of Representatives in the last dispensation, are said not to be in the good books of the revered monarch, a situation that could affect their defection to the APC.

    Akinlabi defected to the LP early this year, following his failure to secure a third term ticket to the National Assembly on the platform of the APC, having lost the primary to Akeem Adeyemi, a former Chairman of Atiba Local Government and son of the Alaafin.

    But for Akala, this is one bridge that would be crossed when the time comes.

  • Oyo Labour campaign rally

    Oyo Labour campaign rally

  • Ajimobi: How Akala blew N3b in one week

    Ajimobi: How Akala blew N3b in one week

    •Says Ladoja refunded N500m loot to EFCC

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has explained how his predecessor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, allegedly blew N3 billion government fund within the last week of his administration in May 2011.

    Ajimobi, who disclosed this in an interview with reporters in Ibadan, the state capital, also revealed how Alao-Akala’s predecessor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, refunded N500 million to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a move aimed at getting plea bargain.

    The governor said Alao-Akala realised the N3billion from the sale of government quarters during his tenure, pointing out that he set aside the fund for payment of pensions before he squandered it in the last week of his administration.

    Alao- Akala is the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) and Ladoja the governorship candidate of Accord.

    Ajimobi wondered how the two former governors considered it right for them to contest for the same position again, despite the moral burden on them.

    He said the N500 million recovered from Ladoja is being used to build model schools across the state’s three senatorial districts.

    “My predecessor sold several government quarters from which he realised about N3 billion. He first set it aside to pay pensioners but later blew it one week before we came in.”

    The governor explained that rather than follow the same path, his administration partnered with UACN Properties, which has redeveloped 89 apartments to be sold at the value of over N5 billion. He explained that the government owns 45 percent of the investment.

    According to him, the same landed property used for the apartments had been valued at only N120 million the sale of which he turned down because of the potential for huge profit, if better utilised. “This, to me, is good governance,” he said.

    The governor was answering a question on how he hopes to cope with dwindling federal allocations and huge and increasing expenditure, if he returns as governor.

    He said his administration would survive by building on the foundation it has laid in attracting investors to the city. Eight big industries have opened for business in the state in the last two years as marks of his efforts to attract investors.

    Ajimobi emphasised that the state’s economy was improving daily, which will ultimately put government in a position to earn more revenue internally.

  • Ajimobi, Akala, Ladoja, Folarin square up for Oyo race

    Ajimobi, Akala, Ladoja, Folarin square up for Oyo race

    BISI OLADELE  examines the struggle for the Agodi Government House, Ibadan and the chances of gladiators in the governorship race.

    Preparations for the  governorship election in Oyo State started two years ago, barely 18 months into the current tenure. It was propelled by the routing of two former governors – Rashidi Ladoja and Adebayo Alao-Akala – by Governor Abiola Ajimobi in the keenly contested election in 2011. It compelled the key figures and their supporters to return to the drawing board, to lay the foundation for their success in this year’s contest. But, it has not been rosy for the three of contestants, as some of their followers have defected to other parties, seeking where their bread would be  buttered.  Some even left for Labour Party (LP), where they are regrouping to give the three leading figures a fight in the coming election.

    Yet, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Accord Party remain the leading parties, with the three figures listed above calling the shots.

    Political activities however reached a highpoint recently, when the three major parties picked their governorship candidates.

    APC

    Even for the ruling APC, it was a keenly contested primary. Some courageous politicians  picked the governorship forms to join Ajimobi in the battle for the party’s ticket. They are a son of the late former governor Lam Adesina, Dr Ayo Adesina and Mr. Adebayo Shittu, a lawyer.

    While Adesina is a United Kingdom-based professional, Shittu is based in Ibadan. Adesina is unknown in Oyo State politics, unlike his late father. He is also not known to have built any strong political structure that could have aided his emergence at the governorship primary.

    Shittu has been a politician since the Second Republic. He was a member of the old Oyo State House of Assembly, representing Saki, his home town. He was also a commissioner under Ladoja between 2003 and 2007.

    He contested the governorship election under the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2011. But, he lost to Ajimobi. His party, the CPC, is one of the three major opposition parties that metamorphosed into the APC.

    The odds that worked against Shittu’s emergence as the APC candidate were two-fold.  One, he hails from Oke-Ogun and his political structure was not strong enough to secure the governorship ticket. Most of the political parties were bent on fielding an Ibadan indigene for the obvious population advantage of the city.

    Ajimobi was able to grab the ticket because the inbency factor worked in his favour. Besides, he is an exprienced politician. He served as a Senator on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) between 2003 and 2007. He was also the governorship candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2007.

    Accord

    There was no contest for the governorship ticket in the Accord Party because only the leader of the party, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, is the sole governorship candidate. No other member of the party indicated interest in the ticket.

    PDP

    It was the opposition PDP that witnessed the hottest contest for the governorship ticket. About 11 aspirants t6ook part in the primary. They are: Adebayo Alao-Akala, Hazeem Gbolarumi, Isaac Babalola, Taoheed Adedoja, Soji Adejumo, Ayo Adeseun and Femi Babalola. Others are Kehinde Olaosebikan, Teslim Folarin, Oluseyi Makinde and Azeez Adeduntan.

    A former Minister of Power, Elder Wole Oyelese, withdrew from the race at a point, to pave the way for him in the Oyo Central Senatorial ticket.

    However, the major contenders were just three: Alao-Akala, Folarin and Makinde.

    Alao-Akala

    The immediate former governor of the state, Alao-Akala still commands huge following within the party across the state. Except in Oyo zone where his fortune has plummeted since 2011, the Ogbomoso-born politician still sustains good following in his town, Oke-Ogun and a sizeable portion in Ibadan. He also possesses the financial capacity to prosecute the governorship race with candidates of other parties.

    But, in spite of the above credentials, he did not get the ticket. At least two odds against him. One, he is not an Ibadan indigene. This factor is strong for winning the governorship election this time around. It was known well in adavance that two Ibadan men, Ajimobi and Ladoja, were likely to fly the flags of their parties. The PDP chose to field an Ibadan indigence in order to benefit from the population advantage. For instance, the number of voters from Ibadan South West and Ibadan North local governments alone is higher that those of the five local governments in Ogbomoso.  Two, having lost the election once, largely due to credibility factor, the party decided to look elsewhere for a more credible candidate to give Ajimobi and Ladoja a good fight.

    Alao-Akala defected to the Labour Party following his failure secure the PDP ticket. He is sure to pick up the LP governorship ticket, to realise his ambition of taking another shot at the governorship this time around.

    Folarin

     The former Senate Leader eventually triumphed in the primary and emerged the standard bearer of the party in the state. He is one aspirant believed to be favoured by the Presidency. He controls the party’s state executive and is widely connected in Abuja.

    Though a two-time senator, Folarin’s popularity is believed not to be strong enough to beat Ladoja and Ajimobi  in the governorship race.

    Oluseyi Makinde

    A younger genaration of politician, Makinde began the race to Agodi Government House as early as 2012. He had a formidable structure in the state, particularly in Ibadan, his place of birth.

    But, in spite of his youthfulness and his structure, the party delegates overlooked him and handed over the ticket to Folarin.

  • Folarin picks Alao-Akala’s kinsman

    Folarin picks Alao-Akala’s kinsman

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Teslim Folarin, announced yesterday Ezekiel Oyedepo, a kinsman of former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, as his running mate.

    Oyedepo is a former chairman of Oriire Local Government Area, one of the five local governments that constitute Ogbomoso zone. Akala hails from Ogbomoso North.

    Folarin made the announcement at a meeting at the PDP State Secretariat in Ibadan, the state capital.

    The meeting was attended by the Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Hosea Agboola and Senator Ayo Adeseun, who are seeking re-election for Oyo North and Oyo Central. The party’s candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Mrs. Adedeji Otiti, also attended the meeting.

    The governorship candidate also named a former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Asimiyu Alarape, as the Director-General of his campaign organisation.

    Addressing the meeting, Folarin urged the candidates to work together in unity, stressing that they should hope for victory in February.

  • Akala loses bid to take over Oyo PDP Exco

    Akala loses bid to take over Oyo PDP Exco

    FORMER Oyo State governor, Adebayo Akala has lost his bid to assume the control of the executive committee of the state’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as a Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the party from sacking the existing exco of Oyo PDP. Justice Evoh Chukwu, in a judgment in a suit by the Vice Chairman of Oyo PDP exco, Chief Solomon Oluwole Ogunjimi, held that the exco, having been validly elected on March 17, 2012, should not be dissolved until the expiration of its four -year tenure.

    He petitioned the national chairman of the party seeking the dissolution of the Hon. Yinka Taiwo led executives which they accused of not living up to expectation.

    Ogunjimi sued following a petition allegedly written by some supporters of Akala, accusing the exco of incompetence and demanding its dissolution by the party’s national body.

    He alleged that the former governor, who is working to return to office, has been critical of the Yinka Taiwo led Oyo PDP exco and was working to ensure its dissolution with a view to assuming control of the party.

    Part of the petition reads, “I want to urgently bring to your attention the fact that the PDP exco in Oyo State elected on the 17th of March, 2012, under the chairmanship of Hon Akeem Yinka Taiwo, is not living up to expectation at all.”

    The petition also accused the Exco of not carrying elders and stakeholders of the party along and that it was creating divisions inimical to the interest of the party ahead of the 2015 general elections and called for the immediate dissolution of the exco and the inauguration of a caretaker committee after due considerations with leaders of the party in the state, including him.

    The plaintiff, who named the PDP and INEC as defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/106/2014, urged the court to restrain Akala and his supporters from dissolving the state executive committee of the party elected on the 17th of March, 2012.

    He prayed the court to restrain the defendants from recognizing any group other than the state executive committee elected at the party’s state congress held on the 17th of March, 2012 in Ibadan, the state capital before the expiration of the four -year term of the said state executive committee.

    In his judgment, a copy of which The Nation obtained yesterday, Justice Chukwu granted the 12 reliefs sought by Ogunjimi. He restrained the PDP and INEC from dissolving the Oyo State executive committee elected on the 17th of March, 2012 at Ibadan before the expiration of its term of four years.

    The judge equally restrained the defendants from recognizing any group other than the state executive committee elected at the party’s state congress held on the 17th of March, 2012 in Ibadan, the state capital before the expiration of the four- year term of the said state executive committee.

    Justice Chukwu also restrained the defendants from conducting any primaries, congress, convention etc, in Oyo State in respect of the State House of Assembly, National Assembly and governorship elections in any venue except that designated by the state executive committee of the PDP in the state which was duly elected at the party’s state congress held on the 17th of March, 2012 in Ibadan, the state capital, of which Chief Ogunjimi is the vice chairman, in respect of the 2015 elections to be conducted by the Independent National Election Commission, INEC, or any other electoral activity until the expiration of tenure of office of the said state executive committee of the party in the state.

  • Akala loses bid to take over Oyo PDP Exco

    Akala loses bid to take over Oyo PDP Exco

    FORMER Oyo State governor, Adebayo Akala has lost his bid to assume the control of the executive committee of the state’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as a Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the party from sacking the existing exco of Oyo PDP.

    Justice Evoh Chukwu, in a judgment in a suit by the Vice Chairman of Oyo PDP exco, Chief Solomon Oluwole Ogunjimi, held that the exco, having been validly elected on March 17, 2012, should not be dissolved until the expiration of its four -year tenure.

    He petitioned the national chairman of the party seeking the dissolution of the Hon. Yinka Taiwo led executives which they accused of not living up to expectation.

    Ogunjimi sued following a petition allegedly written by some supporters of Akala, accusing the exco of incompetence and demanding its dissolution by the party’s national body.

    He alleged that the former governor, who is working to return to office, has been critical of the Yinka Taiwo led Oyo PDP exco and was working to ensure its dissolution with a view to assuming control of the party. Part of the petition reads, “I want to urgently bring to your attention the fact that the PDP exco in Oyo State elected on the 17th of March, 2012, under the chairmanship of Hon Akeem Yinka Taiwo, is not living up to expectation at all.” The petition also accused the Exco of not carrying elders and stakeholders of the party along and that it was creating divisions inimical to the interest of the party ahead of the 2015 general elections and called for the immediate dissolution of the exco and the inauguration of a caretaker committee after due considerations with leaders of the party in the state, including him.

    The plaintiff, who named the PDP and INEC as defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/106/2014, urged the court to restrain Akala and his supporters from dissolving the state executive committee of the party elected on the 17th of March, 2012.

    He prayed the court to restrain the defendants from recognizing any group other than the state executive committee elected at the party’s state congress held on the 17th of March, 2012 in Ibadan, the state capital before the expiration of the four -year term of the said state executive committee. In his judgment, a copy of which The Nation obtained yesterday, Justice Chukwu granted the 12 reliefs sought by Ogunjimi. He restrained the PDP and INEC from dissolving the Oyo State executive committee elected on the 17th of March, 2012 at Ibadan before the expiration of its term of four years. The judge equally restrained the defendants from recognizing any group other than the state executive committee elected at the party’s state congress held on the 17th of March, 2012 in Ibadan, the state capital before the expiration of the four- year term of the said state executive committee.

    Justice Chukwu also restrained the defendants from conducting any primaries, congress, convention etc, in Oyo State in respect of the State House of Assembly, National Assembly and governorship elections in any venue except that designated by the state executive committee of the PDP in the state which was duly elected at the party’s state congress held on the 17th of March, 2012 in Ibadan, the state capital, of which Chief Ogunjimi is the vice chairman, in respect of the 2015 elections to be conducted by the Independent National Election Commission, INEC, or any other electoral activity until the expiration of tenure of office of the said state executive committee of the party in the state