THE crisis rocking the leadership of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) took a dramatic turn on Monday following the decision of the
National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to replace the National Secretary of
the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, with the party’s Deputy National
Secretary, Solomon Onwe.
Tukur, in a statement personally
signed by him on Monday, said that Onwe should assume office in acting
capacity following the removal of Oyinlola by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Federal High Court presided
over by Justice Abdul Kafarati, had last week in a judgment involving a suit by
the Ogun State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party, voided the nomination of
Oyinlola as the candidate of the South West Zonal Chapter of the PDP and his
consequent election to the office of National Secretary at the National
Convention in March 2012.
However, the former Osun State
governor had filed a notice of appeal as well as a stay of execution on the
ruling.The party also filed a stay of execution on Monday. Oyinlola’s camp
believes that the development was an abuse of court process.
However, the Legal Officer of the
party was said to be away in South Africa when our correspondent called.
However, sources in Tukur’s camp said
that the chairman is empowered to take the action he took by the party’s
constitution.
A source said Article 13 of the PDP
Constitution empowers the chairman to assign duties to an officer or any
member of the party.
Tukur had rationalised his decision
in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, saying that he acted in
conformity with the provisions of the constitution of the party.
The party boss said in the statement
which he personally signed, that “Pursuant to the powers conferred on the
National Chairman by Chapter V Section 35 (1), 35 (1)(b) as well as section
36(2) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, (as amended),
the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP, Barr. Solomon Onwe is
hereby directed to assume duties as the Acting National Secretary of the PDP.
“Barr. Onwe shall by this directive
conduct all correspondences of the party, issue notices of meetings of the
National Convention, the National Executive Committee, the National Caucus and
the National Working Committee as stipulated in the Constitution of our great
party.
“This directive takes immediate
effect and is hereby communicated to all the levels and offices of the party.”
The party’s NWC was scheduled
to meet in an emergency session on Monday, apparently to address the issue of
the office of the National Secretary but the meeting was aborted as it failed
to muster the necessary quorum.
Though the National Chairman was at
the Wadata Plaza national secretariat of the party in Abuja, most members of
the NWC failed to show up, necessitating the cancellation of the meeting.
Sources, however, said that Tukur was
emboldened by movements among the Governors Forum at the weekend, following the
peace option preferred by President Goodluck Jonathan at the weekend.
Source: Tribune
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