Tukur,Govs Poise For A Fight Over Oyinlola's Sack

The battle in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP hardened, yesterday, after the National Chairman of the party Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, planted his only loyalist in the National Working Committee, NWC, Solomon Onwe as acting national secretary. The governors, who are opposed to Tukur in a riposte, vowed that any action injurious to the continuation in office of Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola as national secretary would also mean Tukur’s exit from office.

Tukur citing provisions of the PDP Constitution said he had appointed the Deputy National Secretary, Onwe as acting national secretary with full powers.

The development nonetheless, the substantive National Secretary, Oyinlola, who was sacked by an Abuja High Court last Friday took his case to the  Court of   Appeal for the reversal of the judgment.

Oyinlola is a loyalist of the PDP governors who are pitched in battle with Tukur over several issues including the PDP structure in Adamawa State. The removal of  Oyinlola was seen as a setback for the governors who remarkably, got the NWC last week to reverse the dissolution of the Adamawa State executive of the party.

Oyinlola was not at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja yesterday, a place he had regularly operated from since he was appointed the scribe of the ruling party last March.

An aide of  Oyinlola  was, however, spotted at the national secretariat yesterday ferrying some files away.
He was also not present at the brief meeting of the NWC that was chaired by Tukur.

Tukur appoints Onwe as scribe

It was in the course of the emergency meeting, that the Deputy National Secretary, Onwe was asked by Tukur to immediately step into the shoes of Oyinlola in an acting capacity to avoid any vacancy that could be created.

The meeting which was to deliberate on very salient issues as gathered could not  agree on any  decision  due to the inability of those present to form a quorum. Only the decision on Onwe to take over as the acting national secretary was resolved, it was learnt.

Present at the meeting were the National Chairman, Tukur; Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; Deputy National Secretary, Onwe; National Auditor, Bode Mustapha; National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha; National Treasurer, Bala Bawa Kaoje; and National Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Akpan Anani.

The Youth leader, Garba Umar Chiza; National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; National Woman Leader, Amb. Kema Chikwe were said not to be at the meeting, so also is the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh who is out of the country.  Following the meeting Tukur issued a statement saying thus:

“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.”

It was gathered that members of the NWC and the governors elected on the platform of the party will meet on Thursday as part of moves to end the lingering crisis in the party.

Following the meeting of the NWC and the governors, those present are expected to shift base to the Presidential Villa where they will meet with President Goodluck Jonathan.

Oyinlola goes, Tukur goes — Govs

Tukur’s action was met with outrage in the camp of the governors last night. A source privy to one of the governors marshalling support for Oyinlola vowed that the governors were resolved that Tukur would go if Oyinlola goes.