PDP Suspends Baraje, Oyinlola, Sam Jaja, Kazaure…It’s To Frustrate My Reinstatement By Appeal Court-Ex Osun Gov

The crisis rocking the ruling PDP was again compounded today as the National Working Committee, NWC of the party suspended some of its national leaders including the National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola who was just reinstated last week by an order of a Court of Appeal which invalidated a judgment of a federal high court which initially removed  Oyinlola as the scribe of the party.

Justice Joseph Tor of the Court of Appeal, Abuja division had last  Wednesday ruled that Oyinlola who was removed from office by a judgment of Justice Abdul Kafarati was duly elected as the national scribe of the party.  He further noted that the former Osun state governor was not given fair hearing in the suit instituted by the Ogun state chapter of the party which formed the basis of his sack by the high court.

The Bamanga Tukur led NWC of the party had feigned ignorance of the Appeal court order on the excuse that it has not been duly served. The party leadership took the decision to suspend Oyinlola and others after an extensive meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the presidential villa.

Briefing the media on decisions taken at the NWC meeting, the party’s spokesman, Olisa Metuh listed the names of the suspended members as those who have gone to identify with a faction of the party by  Alhaji Kawu Baraje. Both Baraje and Oyinlola have been serving as chairman and secretary, respectively of the faction. Others suspended along with Baraje and Oyinlola include Dr Sam Sam Jaja and Ibrahim Kazaure who are also national officers of the paralel national working committee.

In his remarks at the briefing, Metuh said the affected members  were placed on indefinite suspension following their refusal  to drop the idea of  floating a  new PDP which the courts have pronounced illegal.

The suspension of the party’s stalwarts he said was based on flagrant violation of Section 58 (1) A to J of the PDP constitution.

According to him “We have witnessed  an attempt at political identity theft where some unknown people, our brothers who are aggrieved will collude with some known individuals to attempt an identity theft, where some people will claim your name, your birth date, your job, your complete identity, that has failed, the court has pronounced on it.

“We have countlessly appealed to our brothers that this is not a production of drama, or a production of nollywood movies. This is a serious matter, it is a party administration.

“The NWC in line with its constitutional right and the provisions of the constitution and after preliminary hearings as stated in our Constitution suspended forthwith from the PDP the following: Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Sam Sam Jaja, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ibrahim Kazaure.

“The suspension of these four members of the National Executive Committee because of their past position in the party’s past and present, wherein they are members of the national executive committee  and according to our Constitution it  is only the national working committee that can make pronouncement on it for breach of section 58 1b, g, h and I. ”The provision of our constitution stated that anyone who talks or says anything, likely to bring the party, the PDP into disrepute, hatred or contempt has committed a disciplinary offence.

“Anyone who engages in disorderly conduct at meetings, or rallies at any party functions including walkout at conventions, taking a walkout, engaging in disorderly conduct is guilty of an offence against that constitution.”

Metuh added that the suspended party leaders will have their names forwarded to the party’s disciplinary committee for further disciplinary action to be meted out to them. He disclosed that the G7 governors were spared from the suspension because they are not holding any parallel position in the new PDP which has the potential to threaten the administration of the party.

In his immediate reaction to the suspension, Oyinlola in a terse statement described it as the continuation of impunity which he said is the hallmark of the Tukur’s leadership of the party.

His words: “This is part of the impunity we are protesting against. None of us has been queried or requested to give explanations for any alleged offence. And if they are reacting to the issue of the new PDP, why did they decide to leave out the serving state governors, senators and members of the house of representatives who have been very vocal? Its all an attempt to circumvent the ruling of the Court of Appeal. Certainly, the last has not been heard about this matter and I am sure that truth will prevail over falsehood”