Ekiti PDP suspends Fayose, others

Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis deepened yesterday, with the suspension of ex-governor Ayo Fayose and three other executive members for their alleged roles in last week’s bloody clash at the party secretariat in Ado-Ekiti.

Also suspended are: Secretary of the Party, Dr Tope Aluko, Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Oluwawole and Women Leader, Mrs Busola Oyebode, The party has been embroiled in crisis over who will be its torch bearer in next year’s governorship election. State party chairman Makanjuola Ogundipe said the State Working Committee took the decision “having found them culpable of anti-party activities and acts of insubordination.”

 Ogundipe explained that “the PDP is a disciplined party and would not tolerate any act of indiscipline from any of its members, no matter how highly placed.” According to him, last week’s attack on the PDP Secretariat was “unwarranted, irresponsible and most uncalled-for, looking at the efforts we have made to ensure everyone within the party is given a sense of belonging.” “When President Goodluck Jonathan speaks, it becomes law. Consensus is part of the ways of doing this in democracy. But the consensus is not going to be an imposition. PDP as a party that believes in internal democracy, so we are not going to impose any candidate. The consensus arrangement would be done in such a way that everyone would be carried along and given a sense of belonging”.

In respect of his suspension by seven members of the SWC for purported “high handedness and corruption”, Ogundipe noted that “those who claimed to have suspended me lack the power to do so according to Section 21(9) of the party’s constitution”, adding that “only the National Executive Council of the party can suspend me.” He added: “Anybody sitting in Ado Ekiti and saying he has suspended me must be a huge joker. Only the National Executive Council can suspend me in line with section 21(9) of the PDP Constitution. “Where did they derive their powers. It is either those people are mischievous or ignorant of the Constitution. Our National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur still recognises me as the authentic Chairman of PDP in Ekiti”. Fayose faulted his suspension which he described as “an ignoble news.” Director of Media of the Fayose Campaign Organisation Idowu Adelusi, told reporters on telephone: “you don’t suspend from the top (state level) but from below (ward level). He said: “It is news to us. It is an ignorable news. Ogundipe is not a member of Fayose’s ward. He cannot do that. “You can only suspend from the ward level. Suspending Fayose from the PDP is like suspending PDP from Ekiti. Ogundipe must learn from the past. Fayose is an institution in Ekiti politics and it will be funny for anybody to suspend him from the party.”