Lawyers, Activists Condemn Oyinlola’s Sack

The sack of the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, after he had appealed a Federal High Court’s decision to relieve him of the job, has attracted condemnation from Nigeria’s human rights activists and lawyers.

Oyinlola was sacked Monday by the party’s National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, who asked Oyinlola’s deputy, Onwe S. Onwe to replace him.
Reacting to Oyinlola’s sack, activist, Bamidele Aturu said since he had appealed the judgment, it was wrong for the PDP to have removed him from office.

“The party may claim that they are obeying a court judgment. The PDP is the biggest problem of Nigeria and Africa. PDP is a funny animal,” he said.

Comrade Debo Adeniran, Convener, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, said it was wrong for the PDP to have sacked Oyinlola since he had appealed the judgment.

“The PDP should not be trusted. They should think about reforming the justice system in Nigeria. They only do what they like. Also, if Oyinlola has appealed and the party chairman did not get the appeal notice, he can act but if he was served, he acted contrary to court processes.

“Oyinlola himself did not get to the position through fair means but the PDP should adhere to the rule of law,” he said.
Barrister Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia, a social rights crusader and presidential aspirant in the last election, said disobeying the laws of the land had become the hallmark of the embattled ruling party.

He said the PDP is more popular for its disregard for the rule of law and unpopular policies.

“If the court has asked that Oyinlola be removed and he has appealed the judgement and yet Tukur has replaced him, that action questions the integrity of the PDP.

“Now, should the Appeal Court rule in favour of Oyinlola, how do you reinstate him?” he asked, maintaining that the PDP is never tired of making mockery of the democratic process, an action which he termed a tragedy.

A stalwart of the Afenifere Integrity Group and spokesman of the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign group in the last presidential election, Yinka Odumakin, said he was not surprised that “this House of fraud called the PDP is about to explode.”

He called the ruling party a criminal gang held together by a singular mission which is to loot the country dry.

Wondering how many Nigerians had seen the party’s manifesto, he disclosed that the desire of the members of the party to continue to hold the country by its jugular had resulted in the various factions trying to outdo each other.

He said: “with the way they are going, they would end up destroying themselves and Nigeria will be better for it.”

The President, Africans For Human Rights International (AfriRights), Afolabi Gbajumo, said the affected members of the party were reaping from the corruption that they have sown over the years.

According to Gbajumo, those engaged in what he described as power play were “fighting for their pockets and not what they could deliver to the people.

“What was the performance of Oyinlola as governor of Osun state? What was the performance of Tukur when he was at the Nigerian Ports Authority?” he asked.

He said the PDP National Chairman was supposed to wait for the outcome of the Appeal Court before taking a decision, but added that Tukur’s action was the result of the broken relationship between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and protege, Goodluck Jonathan.

According to him, “it is the legalisation of illegality and shows that the PDP, just like some other parties in the country, cannot rule this nation.”

A solicitor of the Supreme Court, Barrister Chris Akiri, in his submission, said Tukur’s action was the best thing to do in that situation as the position cannot be left vacant till the Appeal Court would deliver judgement.

Calling it a wise decision, Akiri said the simple fact that Oyinlola has appealed the judgement of a Federal High Court sacking him, does not mean that the status quo must remain.

“The court rule must be obeyed till there is a superior judgement. Moreover, Tukur has not appointed a substantive National Secretary, but one in acting capacity pending the ruling or judgement of the Appeal Court,” he said.

Supporting him, another senior lawyer, Allens Agbaka, said going to the Appeal Court itself does not amount to stay of execution of a previous judgement.

He said if Oyinlola was not at the receiving end of the power play, he would have taken the same action as Tukur did or even worse.
He also declared that the PDP had engaged in a “dance of shame that has become irritating to the people.

“The PDP as it were should stop washing their dirty linen in public because it is stinking and the people are already blocking their nostrils to avoid the stench oozing out from this,” he said.

A human rights activist, Barrister Ebun Adegboruwa said at least for once, PDP has regard for the rule of law. He commended the ruling of Justice Abdul Kafarati.

He said”contempt proceedings should be initiated against Oyinlola because the PDP convention where he emerged as the general secretary of the party was illegal since it was held against the ruling of a court. Segun Oni is facing the same problem because he also emerged at an illegal convention held against a court order.

Barrister Supo Osewa said, “notice of appeal does not operate as stay of execution as there is no order as to the stay of the judgement.

“When his appeal is decided, Oyinlola can be reinstated or he can recontest the position.”

As regards the position of the southwest, Osewa said it is not only in the PDP that the Yoruba is short-changed, even in government Yoruba is not in their rightful position. He stated that it is left to the Yoruba to rise and demand their right.

Former Secretary-General, Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos branch, Mr. Ike Uko said the appointment of interim secretary is in order to allow Oyinlola to continue in office will be contemptions.

As regards the position of the southwest, Uko said the position can still be filled by another candidate from the area when there is a bye election.

Oluwole Kehinde said PDP is playing safe. “They don’t want to disobey the order of the court. Oyinlola can be reinstated when his appeal is decided, even though an appeal does not mean stay of execution.

As regards the position of the southwest in the PDP, he said PDP is not Nigeria, the party knows how to run its affairs.

—Akin Kunponiyi, Kazeem Ugbodaga & Eromosele Ebhomele