Aggrieved members drag PDP executives to court over tenure elongation

Henry Ojelu

The court action is coming few days to the commencement of Congresses of the party scheduled to begin on April 30.

In Ogun State, members of the party, Barrister Wasiu Boladele, Alhaja Nike Odutola, Semiu Babatunde, Barr. Semiu Adesanya and Elder Sola Soledolu filed the suit against the PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), the state chairman of the party, Engr. Adedayo Bayo and the secretary, Alhaji Semiu Shodipo.

In the suit Ab/121/2016 which is before Justice M.A. Ojo of an Abeokuta High Court, the claimants are seeking for a declaration of the court that ‘ by provisions of Article 47(1)  of the constitution of the PDP(as amended), the tenure of office of the chairman and secretary of party has expired.

They contend that the National Working Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BOT) of the party cannot extend the tenure of any of her organ, be it national, state, local and ward which has elapsed without National Convention approval.’

They are also seeking a declaration that by reason of the expiration of the tenure of the states executives, ‘ there has been vacuum which must be filled by the state and local government caretaker committee,and as such the present executives ‘ cannot act like subsisting members of their respective state executives and preside over the upcoming congresses.

The claimants are also seeking for an order of the court directing the national body of the party ‘ to appoint a state and local government caretaker committee to oversee the congresses,’ as well as an order directing INEC ‘ not to recognize any party officers produced at a congress organized and conducted by the 3rd and 4th defendants when their tenure has expired.’

The same reliefs were also sought by the aggrieved members of the Lagos chapter who are Segun Akinyemi, Taiwo Oladeji, Azeez Sokunbi, Abiodun Sodiq and Adetoro Kazeem against the state chairman, Captain Tunji Shelle and the secretary, Chief Felix Kokumo as 3rd and 4th defendants respectively before an Ikeja High Court.

The suit in Lagos is yet to be assigned to a judge.

The defendants are yet to file their responses to the suit.