Ondo PDP appoints acting chairman

FOLLOWING the suspension of the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Fatal Adams, the State Executive Committee of the party on Thursday appointed the deputy chairman of the party, Mr. Tola Alabere, as the acting chairman of the party in the state.

The party made this known after the meeting of the SEC at the party’s secretariat in Akure, stating that the development became necessary in order not to give room for any vacuum after Adams’s suspension.

Alabere’s appointment was ratified by nine out of the 11 members of the State Working Committee.

Nine members of the SWC, including Tola Alabere, Dayo Awude, Oluseye Olujimi, Amos Fadope, Moses Awofade, Boluwaji Bamidele, Olawumi Fasonu, and Kennedy Peretei, signed the notice suspending Adams.

The committee said Adams was suspended for anti-party activities and for engaging in activities likely to bring the party to disrepute.

The State Working Committee directed Adam to appear before the State Disciplinary Committee of the party for further interrogations within the next week.

The party also vowed to deal decisively with any incursion into its ranks by the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress.

But Adams said the move to suspend him was politically motivated and was a ploy to get him out of the way so the plot to influence the Akoko North East/North East Federal Constituency by-election could be perfected.

He insisted that he remain the chairman of the party in the state and that he would not allow the party to be taken over by unscrupulous elements who are out to destroy the democratic values the party is known for.

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, said the National Working Committee of the party has dismissed the purported suspension, declaring it null and void.

He said the state committee lacked the authority to suspend the chairman.

However, the state chapter of the party has defended the suspension, asserting that according to the party’s constitution, all levels possess the power to discipline erring members within their ranks, including the state chairman.

Meanwhile, the suspended caretaker chairmen and Local Council Development Areas of the state have headed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the order of the High Court which suspended them from office.

The 18 local government chairmen and the 33 LCDA had filed before the appeal court, “an order setting aside the two rulings in respect of the motions on notice for setting aside/discharging the ex-parte of interim injunction and for interlocutory injunction delivered by the Hon. Justice Yemi Fasanmi of the Ondo State High Court, Akure Division on the 21st day of December, 2023 in Suit No: AK/390/2023 between Peoples Democratic Party vs Governor of Ondo state and three others.

They are seeking “An order granting the appellants’ Motion on Notice filed on the 7th day of December, 2023 to set aside/discharge the ex-parte order of interim injunction which the trial court granted against the appellants on the 30th day of November, 2023;

“An order that the substantive suit be heard before a Judge of the Ondo State High Court other than Hon. Justice Yemi Fasanmi.”

The counsel to the appellants, Banji Ayelakin, has written through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs informing the office of the appeal filed by his clients against the court order.

The letter addressed to the office of the Permanent Secretary reads in part: “Your letter dated 2nd of January 2024 with CMG/353/33 has been referred to us for our legal opinion and we have the directive of our clients to crave your indulgence to certain misconceptions and erroneous conclusion in the letter.

“You are unaware of the extant position of things and your conclusion has been overtaken by events. The office of the Attorney-General of Ondo State has appealed the judgment you referenced.

“The said office has filed an application for stay of proceeding of the judgment as well as stay of execution of the judgment.”

Nigerian Tribune recalls that an Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure had halted the inauguration of the 18 caretaker chairmen as well as the 33 chairmen of the newly created LCDAs.

The development led the state government to order all the caretaker chairmen to vacate their offices pending the outcome of the suit instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.