Umaru Dikko's Panel Recommends Oyinlola's Dismissal From PDP

The National Disciplinary Committee set up by the Bamanga Tukur-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has recommended the expulsion of Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Dr. Sam Sam Jaja.

They were suspended on November 11 for what the party’s leadership described as anti-party activities.

Baraje was the national chairman of the New PDP. Jaja was his deputy. Oyinlola was the national secretary. However, Oyinlola said he remained the national secretary of the ruling party.

Oyinlola has been at war with the leadership of the PDP over failure to reinstate him as national secretary.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had, on November 6, ordered the PDP to reinstate Oyinlola as the national secretary. The party suspended him, instead.

Announcing the committee’s recommendation yesterday, the deputy chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, pronounced Baraje, Oyinlola and Jaja guilty – as charged.

Babatope, who spoke on behalf of the committee, however, said the case of Senator Ibrahim Kazaure, who was also suspended alongside the trio, had been deferred for one month.

According to him, Kazaure would still have to appear before the committee on December 10 to clarify certain issues relating to his case. The committee extended his suspension by 30 days.

Babatope, who initially declared that the party chieftains stand expelled, later said the recommendation was subject to ratification by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Babatope said: “We have examined all the charges very meticulously and very critically and we have arrived at this conclusion that we are passing on to the National Working Committee.

“Three of them have been found guilty of charges brought against them. They are Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, and Sam Sam Jaja.

“We have recommended to the NWC that they should be expelled immediately from the party. “

Asked whether the committee gave the expelled party chieftains fair hearing, Babatope responded in the affirmative.

He said: “We met last week; we gave them seven days to appear.They were duly informed and so if some people say our action is premeditated, fine. But all we know is that this committee is composed of men and a woman of integrity.”