6th November, 2017
Adejoke Adeleye/Abeokuta
The newly elected executives of the People’s Democratic Party in Ogun state on Monday took over the secretariat of the party located along President Boulevard, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The new executives were elected on Saturday during the state congress conducted by the electoral committee led by Mr. Eddy Olafeso, who is the Chairman ofthe South-West zone of the party.
Members of the executives led by its Chairman Hon Sikirulah Ogundele took over the secretariat building at 1pm.
The new PDP executves were also joined by ex-local government chairmen among other prominent party leaders in the state while operatives of the special anti-robbery squad provided security.
Speaking after taking over the building, Ogundele said: ”We have only come to take over the PDP property in accordance with the directive we got from Abuja that every property of the party which is mainly the secretariat must be taken care of and we have just come to peaceful take over the secretariat.
“If you can remember vividly, I have said that at the appropriate time, security operatives will do their job and the take over of the secretariat will be taken care of.
”Five million naira secretariat equipment such as computers, fans, among others have been vandalized and stolen. We have only come to take over the PDP property in accordance with the order given from Abuja.
In his reaction to the take over of the secretariat, Mr. Bolaji Adeniji, the state publicity secretary of the party described it as an invasion.
“We learnt of the invasion of the secretariat by the dissident group in Ogun PDP. You will recall that sometime ago there was a case at the magistrate’s court where members of the erstwhile caretaker committee were accused of contempt of court for parading themselves as the executives of the party.
”After that, there was an order of the court that no congress should in Ogun State and that the police and the DSS should arrest, prosecute and investigate anybody found gathering anywhere.
”In defiance of that order, which is now the modus operandi of this dissident group, they went and conducted congresses on Saturday.
”And this afternoon, we learnt that they invaded the party secretariat with truck load of touts and chased away the staff of the secretariat and pretending that they’ve taken over the secretariat. It is impunity of the most sordid manner.
”Definitely, the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led executive that has the statutory mandate between 2016 up to 2020 would return to court to enforce its fundamental rights. We are going to challenge this. This cannot stand, it is illegality and it cannot stand. In the face of the constitution of our party, it cannot stand because there is a judgement of the Federal High Court that says that Engr Adebayo Dayo exco subsists until 2020.
”Also, there is a ruling of the magistrate court that says nobody should hold congress in Ogun State and nobody should parade themselves as executives of the party in Ogun State.
”None of the judgements have been vitiated and therefore, none of these rulings have been appealed.
Therefore, what right does this group have to invade the secretariat in such manner and claim to be executives of PDP in Ogun State. So, nothing has changed.
”Nobody resisted them. Our security men have gone for their weekend holidays and they were to return this afternoon.
”So, I think they were aware of that security lapse and that’s why they invaded the secretariat early this afternoon and took over.
On the allegation that N5 million worth of equipment was looted, Adeniji denied this, describing it as a lie.
”They can say anything. Nothing was destroyed. The secretariat is in good shape and all facilities in that secretariat remain except of course if the thugs they brought have looted the secretariat and we are going to count whatever we have left there by the time we return in 24 hours. I can assure you that in the next 24 hours, we would be back in that office, ” he added.