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Tag: Ogun PDP crisis:

  • It’s strange Secondus backs Adebutu, says Kashamu

    The senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kasamu, has described the support of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Uche Secondus for the governorship candidacy of Hon. Ladi Adebutu as strange.

    Kashamu, who spoke in Lagos at the weekend against the backdrop of claims that he had withdrawn from the Ogun State governorship race, said his interest was for the PDP to emerge victorious in the March 2 poll.

    He said: “It is strange that the national leadership of the PDP- led by Prince Uche Secondus is claiming that Ladi (Adebutu) is the governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun despite that he emerged through an illegal process.

    “The PDP leaders are the ones making a mistake. They are respectable people but there are no two governorship candidates of the PDP in Ogun.

    “It is the exco of Adebayo that is known to the law and that is why INEC is relating with his exco.”

    He said based on existing court judgment, he remained the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State.

    He urged his supporters to remain steadfast and keep hope alive.

    READ ALSO: Kashamu to supporters: work with Adebutu’s group

    Kashamu said: “I have never issued any statement that I stepped down for Adebutu. What I said was we should all join hands and work together for the victory of the party.

    “If the court rules that Ladi is the candidate eventually, I will work for him and if the court upholds my victory, I expect him to work for me.

    “But the most important thing is that we should all work together for the victory of the PDP.”

    The senator added the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognises him as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

    He said he would gladly allow his supporters work for Adebutu if the court rules against him.

    “I will not step down unless the court rules otherwise,” he said.

  • Ogun PDP crisis: Appeal Court awards N600,000 cost against party

    •Court upholds verdict in favour of Dayo-led Exco

    The Court of Appeal in Lagos has struck out an application by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to relist its appeal challenging a lower court judgment that validated the Ogun State chapter’s executive, led by Adebayo Dayo, an engineer.

    It awarded N600,000 cost against the party, to be paid to former National Chairman, Alhaji Ali-Modu Sheriff, Prof Wale Oladapo and Dayo.

    Each of them is to be paid N200,000, the Appeal Court held.

    The Federal High Court in Lagos had ordered the PDP to recognise the Dayo-led executive in Ogun State on the premise that its tenure would expire in 2020.

    The party had appealed the judgment, recognising Dayo as the authentic chairman, but later withdrew the application through its lawyer, Godwill Mrakpor.

    The Appeal Court consequently dismissed the appeal.

    But, another PDP lawyer, Dr Yemi Oke, returned with another application to relist the case on the basis that the party’s faction, which briefed Mrakpor, led by Sheriff, then, was not the authentic national leadership.

    In a judgment delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, the Court of Appeal held that the faction that appointed Mrakpor “had the power to do so” when it did,+ by virtue of a Court of Appeal judgment recognising Sheriff.

    Besides, it said there was a lower court judgment recognising Mrakpor as PDP’s lawyer.

    Dismissing PDP’s appeal, Justice Tukur, in a judgment delivered on July 11, a copy of which was obtained yesterday, held that the appellant also failed to attach the lower court’s ruling that was appealed against.

    “From whatever angle I looked at the application, I find it to be unmeritorious and liable to be dismissed.

    “However, in view of my findings on the competence of the application for failure to exhibit the ruling of this court subject of this instant application, the proper order befitting this application is one striking it out.

    “It is hereby struck out. There shall be costs of N200,000 in favour of the first, fourth and fifth respondents (Dayo, Sheriff and Prof Oladapo),” the Court of Appeal held.

    The PDP in Ogun State had been embroiled in leadership tussle, leading to factions, one led by Sikirulai Ogundele.

    The lower court held that the tenure of the Dayo-led executive subsists until May 2020, based on a subsisting judgment by Justice Ibrahim Buba.

    The court had also nullified the congresses allegedly held in defiance to Justice Buba’s judgment and orders.

    The lower court also declared the appointment of Tunde Odanye and others as Ogun State PDP Caretaker Committee null and void, saying their appointment contradicted Justice Buba’s judgment that affirmed the Dayo-led exco.

  • Ogun PDP crisis: Court strikes out party’s bid to relist appeal

    •Verdict in favour of Dayo-led exco upheld

    The Court of Appeal in Lagos has struck out an application by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to relist its appeal challenging a lower court’s judgment that validated the Ogun State chapter’s executive, led by Adebayo Dayo, an engineer.

    It awarded N600,000 cost against the party, to be paid to former National Chairman, Alhaji Ali-Modu Sheriff, Prof Wale Oladapo and Dayo.

    Each of them is to be paid N200,000, the Appeal Court held.

    The Federal High Court in Lagos had ordered the PDP to recognise the Dayo-led executive in Ogun State on the premise that its tenure would expire in 2020.

    The party had appealed the judgment, recognising Dayo as the authentic chairman, but later withdrew the application through its lawyer, Godwill Mrakpor.

    The Appeal Court consequently dismissed the appeal.

    But, another PDP lawyer, Dr Yemi Oke, returned with another application to relist the case on the basis that the party’s faction, which briefed Mrakpor, led by Sheriff, then, was not the authentic national leadership.

    In a judgment delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, the Court of Appeal held that the faction that appointed Mrakpor “had the power to do so” when it did,+ by virtue of a Court of Appeal judgment recognising Sheriff.

    Besides, it said there was a lower court judgment recognising Mrakpor as PDP’s lawyer.

    Dismissing PDP’s appeal, Justice Tukur, in a judgment delivered on July 11, a copy of which was obtained yesterday, held that the appellant also failed to attach the lower court’s ruling that was appealed against.

    “From whatever angle I looked at the application, I find it to be unmeritorious and liable to be dismissed.

    “However, in view of my findings on the competence of the application for failure to exhibit the ruling of this court subject of this instant application, the proper order befitting this application is one striking it out.

    “It is hereby struck out. There shall be costs of N200,000 in favour of the first, fourth and fifth respondents (Dayo, Sheriff and Prof Oladapo),” the Court of Appeal held.

    The PDP in Ogun State had been embroiled in leadership tussle, leading to factions, one led by Sikirulai Ogundele.

    The lower court held that the tenure of the Dayo-led executive subsists until May 2020, based on a subsisting judgment by Justice Ibrahim Buba.

    The court had also nullified the congresses allegedly held in defiance to Justice Buba’s judgment and orders.

    The lower court also declared the appointment of Tunde Odanye and others as Ogun State PDP Caretaker Committee null and void, saying their appointment contradicted Justice Buba’s judgment that affirmed the Dayo-led exco.

  • Secondus, INEC disagree on Ogun PDP crisis

    National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected Adebayo Dayo as chairman of the party in Ogun State, following the leadership crisis in the state PDP.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised Dayo, but the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, endorsed Sikirulai Ogundele as chairman.

    The Dayo faction was denied participation in the December 9 national convention.

    INEC, in an April 12  letter, signed by the Secretary, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu, said Dayo was legally-recognised.

    It said it was complying with a judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos.

    INEC had notified the PDP leadership of the judgment in a suit delivered on February 9, 2017, as the basis for its latest position.

    But Secondus and the National Secretary, Senator Umar Tsauri, in a reply to INEC, said the crisis in Ogun State had been resolved in favour of the Ogundele group.

    The letter, dated April 20, insisted that the Supreme Court settled the Ogun crisis and others in it’s July 2 judgment in PDP Vs. Sheriff.

    The letter quoted part of the judgment: “It is unfortunate that this internal party crisis within the appellant has staggered a lot of its anticipated progress. In any case, it is my hope this imbroglio within the appellant will serve as a big lesson to all and sundry.”

    The party leadership asked INEC to withdraw its recognition of the Dayo-led executive in compliance with the judgment.

    The party’s letter to INEC said:  “It will, therefore, amount to an unfortunate summersault if INEC were to withdraw the recogniton of the approved officials of our party in Ogun State, especially the state Executive Committee led by Sikirulai Ogundele.

    “This will certainly throw the party back into avoidable conflict. We believe this cannot be your intention or wish for our party.”

    But Dayo said Secondus should not constitute himself into an appeal court in a case already decided by a Federal High Court.

    His letter to the national chairman, dated April 24, said: “From all the foregoing, I am honestly amazed and shocked that you lent yourself to write INEC against its lawfully taken position to give recognition to my executive, out of your flagrant disobedience of subsisting court judgments  of which you were corporately (as PDP) a party to the suit.

    “Ridiculously, all your submissions in the letter to INEC were carbon-copy duplication of your solicitor’s submissions to the court before judgment was delivered to which INEC responsibly chose to obey and instructed you in polite administrative terms to comply.

    “Maybe you now wish to sit in appeal over Nigerian high court judgments to interpret to your regulatory body, INEC, which judgment to obey and which not to by your discretion?

    “Besides, your unnecessary letter to INEC bore gross misrepresentation of facts and distortion of the issues.

    “Therein it was erroneously claimed that it’s the ‘exclusive right of the NEC’ of our party to determine leaders of the various organs whereas the party constitution is clear on how the ward exco up to the state excos and even through which the said NEC were to emerge.

    “If the NEC has such powers, then what’s the essence of ward, LG and state congresses?

    “Except for the national party officer’s self-serving and undemocratic tampering with the process;  the NEC involvement should ideally be purely monitoring and not the egocentric manipulations as is now the case let alone false claims of exclusive right to determine various organs and exco leaders.”

  • Ogun PDP crisis: Court sacks Obansajo’s loyalists

    Ogun PDP crisis: Court sacks Obansajo’s loyalists

    People’s Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lost in the struggle for the control of the party in Ogun State. A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday voided the congresses the faction conducted in the state in July from which an Executive Committee led by one Dipo Odujinrin was constituted.

    In a ruling yesterday, Justice Okon Abang ordered the affected officials, who emerged from the voided ward, local government and state congresses conducted in the state in July, to vacate offices and yield the party’s management and control to those officials who emerged from the earlier congresses conducted by the harmonised Dayo Soremi-led Executive Committee.

    Justice Abang, who upheld the judgment of the court delivered by Justice Charles Archibong on May 2, pronounced the Adebayo Dayo-led Executive Committee as the authentic management body of the party in the state by virtue of the May 2 judgment.

    He ordered the PDP to accept the committee in that regard, accord it all necessary materials to operate unfettered and allow it serve out its four-year tenure as allowed by the party’s constitution.

    The judge ordered the Inspector General of Police and all other relevant security agencies to help enforce the court’s order. He ordered the arrest and prosecution of anyone among the sacked party officials who refused to vacate office.

    Justice Abang, who criticized the PDP for lacking respect for due process, held that the party acted against known principals of rule of law and constitutionalism when, having appealed the May 2 judgment and sought a stay of execution pending appeal, took steps aimed at circumventing the judicial process by conducting the July 23 congresses rather than await the outcome of its appeal.

    The ruling was on an objection raised by the PDP and nine of its principal officers, including its National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear a committal proceedings initiated against them by the Adebayo Dayo-led Executive Committee, accusing them of disobeying orders contained in the May 2 judgment.

    The judge held against the PDP and its principal officers, holding that his court has the jurisdiction to hear the contempt proceedings because it was intended to protect the court’s integrity and powers.

    Justice Abang held that although he will consider the motion for committal later, he chose to make the consequential orders in exercise of the court’s disciplinary jurisdiction as provided in Sections 56(6)(b) and 283(3) of the constitution and to prevent a state of anarchy in the Ogun.

    The judge held that the decision to delay the contempt trial was in view of a pending application before the Court of Appeal, dated July 10, 2012 and filed by the alleged contemnors for stay of execution of the May 2 judgment.

    The judge observed that despite being served with the motion for committal proceedings, the alleged contemnors refused to file a counter-affidavit, believing that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the contempt case.

    “The unchallenged evidence before the court showed that the judgment debtors (PDP and others) that they had conducted congresses in July in Ogun State, while the judgment was yet to be set aside.

    “This action of the alleged contemnors is distasteful, senseless, oppressive, high handed, sufficiently outrageous, reprehensible to the extreme and showed gross disregard for the rule of law,” the judge held

    He adjourned the case to January 13 next year to await the appellate court’s decision on the pending application.