PDP: Tukur replaces Oyinlola with Onwe

PDP National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur and former National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola

The  battle for the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party  intensified on Monday as President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, tried to outwit the PDP governors and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The National Secretary of the party and  former Osun State Goveror, Prince  Olagunsoye Oyinlola,  has become the first major casualty of the power tussle. He was directed to step down   by  Tukur after a rancorous meeting of the party   National Working Committe  in Abuja on Monday.

Oyinlola is  perceived to be a beneficiary of Obasanjo’s political  structure   while Tukur is known to have the support of the President.

 A Federal High Court in Abuja had on Friday sacked  Oyinlola  as the PDP national secretary. The court had ruled on a case filed by the  Ogun State chapter of the party, which  alleged that he was not the valid candidate, as he was foisted on the  South-West geopolitical zone by Obasanjo.

As the  Monday NWC  meeting rose, Tukur wrote a letter to the Deputy National Secretary of the party, Chief Solomon Onwe, asking him to step into Oyinlola’s shoes in acting capacity.

He also signed a statement in which he predicated his action  on powers conferred on him by the PDP  constitution.

Oyinlola, who also has the support of the PDP governors, was not at the Monday meeting.

PDP chairman justifies action

 Tukur, in the statement said, “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 PDP (as amended), the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP, Solomon Onwe, is hereby directed to assume duties as the Acting National Secretary of the PDP.

“Onwe shall by this directive conduct all correspondence of the party, issue notices of meetings of the National Convention, the National Executive Committee, the National Caucus and the NWC 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.”

Chapter V, Section 35 (1) of the PDP constitution as amended says, “There shall be a national chairman who shall be the Chief Executive of the party while Section 35 (1)(b) adds that he(national chairman) shall  “provide firm and effective leadership and direct the activities of the party under the overall supervision of the National Executive Committee.”

Section 36(2) of the constitution, which spells out the functions of the national secretary, says that the secretary shall “conduct or direct the conduct of the correspondence of the party and cause to be issued, notices of meetings of the National Convention, the NEC, the National Caucus and the NWC.

 Legal team invited to NWC  meeting

 One of our correspondents observed that Tukur went into the meeting with a team of lawyers, led by Mr. Joe Gadzama(SAN). He said the team was there to present a legal opinion on the FHC ruling on Oyinlola.

Sources at the meeting said some NWC members frowned on the presence of the lawyers, since the party has a functional National Legal Adviser in the person of Mr. Victor Kwon.

However, it was learnt that Tukur said he would prefer to listen to the opinion of ‘neutral’ lawyers, who he said, had no camp in the crisis rocking the party.

Kwon was among the 10 members of the NWC, who rescinded the party’s decision sacking the members of Adamawa State executive committee of the party.

The 10 NWC members, had at their meeting on Wednesday, restored the Mujingiwa Kaugama-led executive committee, which Tukur opposed to.

Tukur and Onwe were not at the meeting where the decision was taken.

Immediately after Monday’s NWC meeting, Tukur left the party secretariat, after giving instruction that  the statement must be prepared.

The division within the NWC might have necessitated Tukur signing the statement asking Oyinlola to step down.

Before yesterday, statements from the party were usually signed by the National Publicity Secretary , Chief Olisa Metuh.

But there were indications that NWC members were not happy with Tukur’s action.

Jonathan, Tukur gain advantage

 Investigation by our correspondents showed that the President and  Tukur  were having the upper hand in the struggle with the sacking of Oyinlola

 Tukur and other loyalists of Jonathan saw the exit of the national  secretary of the party as a victory for the President and their camp.

The PDP had on Friday pledged its support for Oyinlola  when it said that it  was already preparing to file an appeal against the sacking of the former governor  at the Court of Appeal on Monday.

Kwon had in a text message to one of our correspondents said,  “Today is Saturday and so the appeal will be filed on Monday. We will also file an application for stay of execution same Monday.’’

Governors maintain support for Oyinlola

It was gathered that the PDP  governors had not given up on the struggle as there were indications that they were still pressing on with their  call for a meeting of the National Executive Council.

The governors dominate the NEC and there are fears among the NWC  members that they   may call for the dissolution of the party’s NWC.

Oyinlola emerged secretary of the PDP through the support of the governors and Obasanjo at the party national convention in March, 2012.

A top source at the NWC said, “There are more battles to fight. This is just the round one. Jonathan and his man, Tukur, seem to have won today(Monday), with the replacement of Oyinlola. But the governors can have the last laugh.  If the NEC is held, Tukur and other NWC members will be swept away.”

Oyinlola had at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, challenged the judgment of a FHC  which sacked him from office.

It was however gathered that Tukur’s move was to convince the governors that he was in control of the party.

Investigations also revealed that the chairman had reached out to the President to pledge his loyalty to him.

 It was learnt that Tukur’s supporters in the Presidency had told the President that strategists who were mounting pressure on him to dump Tukur did not mean well for him (Jonathan).

A Presidency source said, “Strategists who are mounting pressure on Jonathan to dump Tukur want him (the President) to commit a political suicide.

“If Tukur goes, it will not be easy to find a replacement from the North-East, where he (Tukur) hails from. The Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja, will step in as acting chairman.

“You will recall that Jaja is a man of the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who is chairman of the Nigerian Governors, Forum.. If Tukur leaves, the party will practically be handed over to the governors with Jaja in charge.”

Osun PDP backs Oyinlola

  In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, Oyinlola received the support of the state chapter of the PDP as it refuted   the claim that Obasanjo imposed  him as   a national secretary.

Addressing a news conference at the party’s secretariat, on Monday,  state PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr Bola Ajao, said the   same national convention held in Abuja on March 24, 2012, produced Oyinlola and Tukur.

 He said, “It  is a fallacy for anyone to claim that Oyinlola was imposed on the party by the former Chairman, Board of Trustees, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and former South-West Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, as stated in the claim of the plaintiffs with which they misled the court.

 As a responsible corporate body which has respect for the rule of law and due process, the party has already appealed against the judgment of the FHC  and we are very certain that the judgment shall be upturned in the interest of fairness, equity and justice.

 “For us in the Osun State chapter of the PDP, under Alhaji Abdul-Ganiu Olaoluwa, and the entire PDP family in Osun, we wish to pass a vote of confidence  in  Prince Oyinlola and we declare our absolute loyalty to him as the validly elected national secretary of our great party.”

Oyinlola at Appeal court

Earlier on Monday, one of our correspondents gathered that Oyinlola had in a notice of appeal dated January 11, 2013, asked the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division,  to reverse his sacking by the FHC.

In the grounds of appeal,  his counsel, Otunba Kunle Kalejaye (SAN), argued that the ruling of the FHC was against the weight of evidence.

He maintained that the Judge of the trial court erred in law by assuming jurisdiction of the matter.

Arguing that the Ogun State chapter of the PDP, which filed the suit against him before the Abuja FHC, lacked the locus standi to bring the action, he maintained that the trial court “did not find that the plaintiff had any special interest in the position of the National Secretary of the PDP.”

He therefore asked the Appeal court for “an order reversing the judgment of the trial Judge”, as well as “an order striking out and or dismissing the entire action with costs.”

Listed a respondents in the suit are the chairman of the Ogun State Chapter of the PDP, Adebayo Dayo and Secretary, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, for and on behalf of other officers of the state executive committee of the party, as well as the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In their originating summons in the suit decided by the Abuja FHC, the Ogun State chapter of the PDP had alleged that Oyinlola was not the valid candidate, as he was foisted on the zone by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

They maintained that, following the zoning of the office of National Secretary to the South-West, Oyinlola was imposed as the candidate for the position by Obasanjo and the then National Vice-Chairman (South West), Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo.

But they argued that, following the orders of two separate judgments of the Lagos FHC, which nullified the South-West zonal congress that produced Oyinlola as candidate, the former governor should no longer be the National Secretary of the party.