Lagos PDP Chairman Removed

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, seems to have extended to its Lagos State chapter as the state chairman, Mr Tunji Shelle, was sacked by 34 members of the State Working Committee.
Shelle was reportedly sacked by the committee after being found guilty of unspecified allegations levelled against him.
Also, the committee accused Shelle of mismanaging election campaign funds and manipulating the party’s primaries last year which ultimately led to the defeat of the PDP at the polls.
He was immediately replaced by Kamaldeen Olorunoje, who will manage the affairs of the party.
Olorunje, before his new appointment, was the vice chairman of the party.
But in a swift reaction, the embattled chairman, Shelle described the sack as null and void.
Speaking with Vanguard over his removal, Shelle described those involved in the plot as jokers.
The party, while taking the decision, accused Shelle among other 13 allegations, of being responsible for the loss the PDP suffered during the March 28 and April 11 elections elections.
Addressing newsmen at the party secretariat, the PDP state secretary, Alhaji Wahab Owokoniran, who spoke on behalf of others, said the decision was arrived at to protest the way the party was being run, leading to the last elections.
He said: “We members of exco have all agreed that the way the party is being run should not be allowed. You will all agree with me that this party is not well run before, during and after the elections. There is need for restructuring. If we want restructuring, there is no way the Chairman can continue in office.”
Owokoniran said the Disciplinary Committee set up by the party had recommended expulsion or impeachment of Shelle having found him guilty of all the allegations levelled against him.
While disclosing Shelle’s refusal to appear before the panel, the party chieftain said the party resolved to “impeach” the PDP chairman.
Outlining some of the allegations, Owokoniran accused the party chairman of unilaterally rendering the PDP structure inactive before, during and after the 2015 general polls without the approval of the State Executive, allegedly allocating “funds to various party members and officials according to his wishes of seeking the approval of the State Working Committee.”
Accusing Shelle of allegedly hijacking the functions of treasurer and the party secretary, he alleged that “the money received by the party was outsourced to a third party who keeps it in his bank account and disburses from it.”
In addition, he said “he (Shelle) calls party official meeting without consultation. Lawful duties were neglected especially refusing to consult with the State Electoral Commissioner until four months after he was deployed to the state. Party guideline on payment for nomination form was breached by allowing his favoured aspirants to collect forms without payment.”
“In Epe LGA, he manipulated a draw situation between two aspirants in the party primaries to favour hos preferred candidate. His candidate defected to APC after losing the election,” Owokoniran alleged.