Without My Reinstatement,PDP Is Doomed..Oyinlola

The reinstated National Secretary of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Olagunsoye Oyinlola has predicted the end of the PDP, if the party fails to reinstate him.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja has ordered Oyinlola’s reinstatement as National Secretary, but the party’s leadership suspended him instead.

At a news conference in Abuja yesterday, Oyinlola said: “If I am not reinstated, it would mean the end of the PDP in Nigeria. I will brief my legal team for the next line of action, if they fail to comply with the ruling of the court.”

Oyinlola faulted claims by the leadership of the party that they were yet to be served a copy of the ruling, saying that their lawyer was in court the day the Appeal Court delivered the judgment.

Describing the claim as an afterthought, Oyinlola said the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP did not wait for a copy of the January 11 judgment of the Federal High Court that ousted him before swearing in a replacement.

“They did not accept service at the party secretariat. So, I forwarded electronic copies to the National Legal Adviser, Mr. Victor Kwom and the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.

“Serving them a copy of the ruling was meant to fulfill all righteousness because they are fully aware of the judgment. Tukur cannot claim ignorant of the judgment,” Oyinlola said.

He accused Tukur of running the party like a subsidiary of his private company, regretting that instead of seeing the ruling as an opportunity to reconcile aggrieved members, the chairman decided to create more crisis in the party.

The former Osun State governor wondered why Tukur and his co-travellers failed to realise that fractionalising the ruling party could cause collateral damage to the entire nation.

Reacting to the position of the party that he and others were suspended for creating a faction of the PDP, Oyinlola said the constitution of the party allowed for division.

He justified this by pointing out that while he was still national secretary, he and nine other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) met and reversed an earlier decision dissolving the Adamawa State Executive Committee.

According to him, the decision to form the New PPD was meant to attract the attention of the leadership of the party to the culture of impunity being entrenched by Tukur and his cohorts.

Describing his suspension and that of three other members of the factional group as red herring, Oyinlola said he and the trio – Kawu Baraje, Ibrahim Kazaure and Sam Jaja – were not the pillars of the New PDP.

Oyinlola said: “I have since gone through the press statement containing my purported suspension and have come to the conclusion that I should make a formal reaction to this latest act of impunity by a section of the party, that is clearly out to ridicule the judiciary, denigrate the rule of law and destroy the very basic foundation of constitutionalism in our country.

“If the claim that the four of us were suspended because we are the pillars of the New PDP, then what about seven PDP governors who are also members of the group. Why did they not suspend the governors too.

“I expected the party to abide by that judgement. It was, therefore, shocking and unbelievable when I got to know through the media that I had been suspended from the party as a consequence of my winning a court case”, he stated.

“This is a blatant assault on our courts, an unfortunate affront against the judiciary, good conscience and morality.”

Oyinlola pointed out that the PDP did not call for election into the office of the National Secretary in the August 31 mini convention because it knew that the seat was not vacated even though he had been ousted at the time.

Asked if he was in contact with President Goodluck Jonathan over the matter, Oyinlola said he had not had the opportunity to communicate with the President since the judgment was delivered.

He condemned his suspension, saying it has no place in the party’s constitution.

“Let me state with humility, that as a human being with feelings, I am bound to be hurt and aggrieved at the inhuman and unjust treatment meted to me in the course of the performance of my duties as national secretary.

“My persecutors owe me an explanation on why I am being unjustly persecuted, and vilified unduly, especially considering the fact that no pronouncement has been made on the representations I have made to various authorities of the party in the past 10 months, aside from my illegal removal from office.

“The causes and effects of the political crises must have been examined by the various bodies that investigated the conducts of all the aggrieved PDP members in relation to the handling of the crises by party leaders.

“To have resorted to an anomalous decision to suspend an accused without allowing for a fair hearing makes the NWC appear to be a body at the crossroads.

“That decision, which is designed to serve the self-interest of a clique, destroys the very basis of internal democracy in PDP and makes nonsense out of the principles and values which all right-thinking members of the society cherish,” Oyinlola stated.

On the Umaru Dikko Disciplinary Committee to which the party leadership said his case would be referred, Oyinlola said he was not aware of the existence of the committee.

“I do not know the disciplinary committee they are talking about because, the one set up by the Tukur leadership has not been approved by the NEC as stipulated by the constitution of the party and so cannot exist, talkless of trying anyone.

“Any decision taken against a member who has not been informed of the charges against him or her, or, has not been given any opportunity of defending himself or herself shall be null and void,” he said.

He indicated his readiness to resume duties at the national secretariat of the party any time it pleases Tukur to allow peace in the party.