More Worries for PDP As Court Sacks Oyinlola

Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

The crisis rocking the leadership of Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was heightened on Friday following the sack of the party’s National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola,by a Federal High Court siting in Abuja.

Oyinlola’s sack was pronounced by the court while delivering judgment in a suit instituted by the Ogun state chapter of the party through its chairman, Engr. Adebayo Dayo.

Dayo had challenged the nomination of Oyinlola by the South West Caucus on the ground that two court judgments had nullified the South-West zonal congress through which the National Secretary was nominated.

Listed as defendants in the suit alongside Oyinlola are Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Independent National Election Commission, INEC.

While delivering judgment in the case, Justice Abdul Kafarati held that the action of PDP and Oyinlola amounted to criminal conduct and liable to be condemned to prison for the flagrant disobedience to two subsisting court orders.

He noted that Oyinlola is not worthy to be recognized as the National Secretary of the party and should vacate the office.

The court also held that Oyinlola could not have emerged as the nominee of the PDP in view of the two court judgments which nullified the congress, adding that orders court must be obeyed whether valid or not.

Furthermore, the court held that the conduct of the defendants constitute flagrant disobedience to subsisting court orders and also constitute a criminal contempt of court and that any step taken thereafter by the PDP secretary is a null and void.

Subsequently, the preliminary objection brought by the embattled National Secretary were dismissed by the court.

Though the court granted all the reliefs sought by Engr. Dayo in the suit, the court did not make any specific order as to the relief seeking for Oyinlola’s committal to prison.

The National Secretary had however vowed to challenge the court’s decision at the Court of Appeal. In his reaction to the judgment, Oyinlola stated that the judgment is a miscarriage of justice.

Mr Yinka Adeoye, Oyinlola’s personal aide affirmed Oyinlola will appeal the judgement.