By Akinwale Kasali
The power tussle rocking the Lagos State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has escalated, putting the Party on the brink of Collapse.
Tuesday’s High Court ruling in Lagos, that sacked Adedeji Doherty as the State Chairman of the Party, reinstating Dominic Adegbola as the Party’s Chairman, has further polarised the Party, causing a clash of interest among Party leadership and members.
Justice Oyekan Abdullahi, delivering judgement in suit No: LD/3600/GCM/2019 DR DOMINIC ADEGBOLA & ORS. V. PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY & ORS. filed by Dominic Adegbola, said the judgement was delivered in favour of the Claimants.
The Court said it considered the Preliminary Objection filed by the 1st -6th defendants, and dismissed them for lack of merit.
“Consequently, the Court considered the merit of the case canvassed by all the parties. The Court held that the positions sought to be filled at the special election were not vacant. Also, the Court held that the argument that the 1st Claimant, Dr. Dominic held the office of the State Chairman of PDP for 90 days has no place in the Constitution of PDP.
“The Court further held that the 1st Claimant was duly appointed to serve out the term of his predecessor who resigned.”
Justice Abdullahi stated that the “Claimant’s failure to utilize internal dispute mechanism is not accidental as the Defendants frustrated same. The Court relied on the attempt made by the 1st Claimant when he wrote a letter to the National Chairman of the party and the letter was rejected. This fact was not contradicted by the Defendants”.
The Court said it further held that “all the conditions precedent to conduct election into the party’s offices were not followed and that the NWC of the party had no power to conduct state and local government congresses. Also, the special congress must fail as there was no guideline from the NEC of the party.
“Furthermore, the Court held that no notice of the special congress was forwarded to INEC as required by the Electoral Act.
“In sum, the case of the Claimants succeeds completely. The special congress held on 13th November, 2019, was set aside and there were no vacancies in the first place.
“In addition, the Court further held that the Defendants’ act of conducting the special congress despite a subsisting order of the Court prohibiting same is contemptuous”.
However, since the judgment was delivered, there have been brickbats between the Chairman of Lagos State Elders Committee of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and former Minister of Cooperation and Integration in Africa, Bimbo Ogunkelu, and PDP South West General Secretary, Rahman Owokoniran.
Ogunkelu said that the party will appeal the Court judgment that sacked Doherty as Lagos State Chairman and reinstated Adegbola, stating that the party in Lagos will get a stay of execution and challenge the lower court’s judgment at the Appeal Court.
“We don’t accept that judgment. How can a properly carried out congress be set aside by a court because some people are not happy?
“It is a miscarriage of justice and we will go to the Appeal Court. We don’t understand how the judge came to that conclusion; that is why we will appeal.”
The party’s elders committee was solidly behind Doherty.
“I am the Chairman of the Elder’s Committee and we don’t understand why the two groups were lumped together, however, what happened at the court does not stop the party from uniting and working together,” he said.
In a swift reaction to Ogunkelu’s Statement, Owokoniran lambasted him, saying that it is so pathetic that Ogunkelu could utter such statement, stressing that Ogunleku did not read the judgment. And that if he read it, he failed to understand the issues.
According to Owokoniran, Ogunkelu did not contradict Bukola Saraki at the two reconciliation meetings he presided over in Lagos, when Saraki said that the Congress that produced Doherty was illegal and that it should not have taken place.
“Secondly, Dr. Ogunkelu was at the Congress that produced Dr Dominic, who contested the state chairmanship position with Chief Apena, Kunle Okunola and Elder Agbaje.
“Chief Apena was disqualified because he was not from Lagos West senatorial district. Dr Dominic emerged the winner from the Congress. Dr. Ogunkelu and Deji Doherty were in attendance.
“Ogunkelu apparently had not read the judgment before this reaction. Because he completely veered off the court ruling on the matter.
“The issue of a letter being raised by Dr. Ogunkelu was not relevant in this matter because according to Dr Saraki it should not have arisen.
“The Court, of course, shares the same view when it said that the Congress that produced Deji Doherty should not have taken place.
“Ogunkelu needs to put his reputation behind the facts and make reconciliation possible as an elder statesman.
“Putting himself in front of this distortion of facts at this point in time is mind-boggling. It is very important that PDP continues to enjoy the reconciliation and peace that Saraki’s reconciliation committee and leaders of the party have successfully gained without unnecessary distractions.
“PDP as a whole has serious work of salvaging the nation at hand”.
It would be recalled that after the sack of Doherty by the Court, the Zonal leadership of the party in a congratulatory statement titled: “The entire South-West leaders-victory at last.
“We celebrate the glory of the Lord in our life as the truth, finally reigns supreme in judgment.
“We pray that the rest of the cases left in the South-West in particular and the nation, in general, shall vindicate us.
“Now that the court has spoken, let’s allow peace to reign so we can build the party in unity,” the South West PDP Zone of party said in a statement.
