Ogun PDP suspends Jimi Lawal, four others for conducting "illegal" primary

By Our Correspondent 

The Ogun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, suspended a governorship aspirant of the party, Otunba Jimi Lawal for allegedly conducting and participating in an "illegal" governorship primary election.

Lawal was suspended alongside four others who are: Bola Odumosun, the Financial Secretary of the party, Fasiu Ajadi, Kola Akinyemi and Tope Asiru, the party chairman of the Ijebu Northeast local government area.

The Secretary of the party, Sunday Solarin announced their suspension at a press briefing at the party's secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital.

According to Solarin, Lawal and the others were suspended for violating the constitution of the party by conducting and participating in an "illegal" governorship primary election which was not authorised by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

Solarin disclosed that Lawal and the others have been suspended for one month pending the outcome of a disciplinary committee which would be set up to review their action.

A Federal High court sitting in Abeokuta had nullified the primary election of the party which produced Hon. Ladi Adebutu in the state.

The presiding judge, Justice  O.O Oguntoyinbo in her judgement ordered the party to conduct fresh primaries within the next 14 days.

The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Hon. Ladi Adebutu is the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

The NWC of the party has however vowed to appeal the judgement.

It was gathered that, following the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum, the faction of Jimi Lawal staged a factional governorship primary election at an undisclosed location in Abeokuta, the state capital on Monday.

But, the leadership of the party in the state, condemned the action of Lawal and members of his faction, insisting that PDP would not condole any action directed at putting the party into disrepute.

Solarin while handing down the suspension said, "All of these shenanigans will be put to bed and we have resolved that the principal actors of the illegal primary election will be exposed. They have been found to have transgressed the laws of the party and their punishment will be given.

"We were informed that an Illegal congress was going to happen today and that history has it as of this afternoon that some people gathered somewhere to carry out an action that is not constitutionally or statutorily assigned to them.

"We have also resolved today that Otunba Jimi Lawal is also going to be on suspension with immediate effect because he participated actively in a congress not conducted by the State Executives of the party, an action which has been found to bring the party into disrepute.

"We must also emphasise the fact that in a house where discipline is missing such a house will not raise good children and they are not going to raise good ambassadors for that family. 

"Because PDP is a house that believes in the rule of law, it is a house built by our forefathers, managed by all of us we are not going to open our eyes and allow some dissidence to destroy the house and therefore we must tow the path of discipline by showing them the way, so they are suspended for the next one month in which case the disciplinary committee will be set up and they will be invited to come and explain the action they took, the reason why their suspension will not be elongated or the reason why it will not be translated to expulsion".

Reacting, Austin Oniyokor, Project Director, Jimi Adebisi Lawal Campaign Organization said the purported suspension of Otunba Jimi Adebisi Lawal (JAL) is nothing but the weeping of a beaten and battered premature adult. 

It is the case of the voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau.

"To be sure, it is a sad commentary on our democracy and the rule of law that some lawless individuals could gather somewhere under the remote control of one of the aspirants who has just been defeated in the court-ordered governorship rerun to claim to have suspended party stalwarts for complying with subsisting court orders and judgments.

"It is the irony of our political space and system that those who are contemptuous of valid and subsisting judgments and orders of court could turn round to claim that they have suspended law-abiding citizens.

Clearly, this contemptuous act cannot stand the test of time and the law. All their contemptuous acts will be taken before the court and the full weight of the law will be visited on them in due course.

Until then, we want to appeal to all our party leaders, elders, supporters and the general public to remain firm in the face of the needless provocation. This political gymnastics will soon pass like others before it.