Former National Secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has asked the National Convention Committee of the party not to conduct any election into the office of the PDP National Secretary at its oncoming mini-national convention.
In a letter to the Prof. Jerry Gana-led National Convention Committee of the PDP on Monday, Oyinlola insisted that his seat at the national office was not vacant.
He was removed as the National Secretary of the party by an order of a Federal High Court, Abuja on January 13, 2013 because the congress in which he was elected was improperly constituted.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had also in a report invalidated the election of other members of the PDP National Working Committee, which led to the resignation of 20 officers of the party, including eight NWC members, prompting the party to schedule a mini-convention to elect new officials.
However, the INEC report did not fault the election of Oyinlola, National Chairman of the PDP, Bamangar Tukur; and two other national officers.
But the national convention committee put together by the National Executive Committee of the party at its meeting on Thursday, said that South-West zonal convention would hold on July 11, while that of the national level would hold on August 20.
But Oyinlola, who is also a former governor of Osun State, said in his letter that his election as the National Secretary was not part of those invalidated by INEC.
His letter reads, “I have been reliably informed of the intention of the National Convention Committee, appointed to conduct a mini-national convention to elect some national officers of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, whose elections were invalidated by the report of INEC on the conduct of the national convention of March 24, 2012.
“It is abundantly evident that INEC cleared my election as the PDP National Secretary, a position from which I assert and maintain, that I was unjustly and unconstitutionally removed by a January 11, 2013 ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja delivered by the Hon. Justice Abdu Kafarati.
“I have read series of media reports which indicate that the position of the National Secretary would be contested at the upcoming national convention of our great party. Let me say that I was taken aback by the pronouncement of the former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, who declared, in a briefing of journalists after a meeting of the National Working Committee with His Excellency, Mr. President, last week that the position of the National Secretary was vacant, giving indications that it would be contested.
“I state with every humility that Chapter VII (3) of the PDP Constitution states. ‘The guidelines for elections to any office of the party shall be approved at the National Executive Committee of the Party, in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.
“This implies that even if the PDP NEC, or any other body decided that an election should be conducted into any office of the Party, such an election must be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the extant PDP Constitution.
“The PDP Constitution does not give room for the emergence of national officers from the zones of the country; but from the national convention.
“It is most regrettable that some occurrences of the past few months at the national secretariat of our great party have given cause to suspicion that I am being unduly persecuted for no just cause.”
He reminded the committee that he was removed by a Federal High Court order which he said was being vigorously challenged at the Court of Appeal.
Meanwhile, Tukur has said members of the party are satisfied with his style of leadership.
He spoke in Abuja on Monday during the swearing-in of interim members of the NWC of the PDP.
He said the new members of the NWC would be in office till July 20 when a mini- convention would be held to elect substantive officers that would replace them.
The offices, he said, became vacant because of the report written by INEC, which queried the method used to elect the affected party officials.
INEC has in its report, said it was wrong to have elected the officers through affirmation, an action it said was contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution.
The NWC is saddled with the responsibility of day-to-day running of the party.
Tukur said, “The PDP is working and has no problem in term of its administration.
“What we have done is to regulate what INEC observed as irregular. We want to run the party according to the law and make it the best in black Africa. You must continue to support our party.
“Our people have confidence in our party and my style of leadership. You can see what happened in Nasarawa State where thousands of people defected to the PDP.”
Responding on behalf of others, the Acting Deputy National Chairman of the party, who is also a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, pledged their loyalty to the party and Tukur.
He promised that the team would work with Tukur and give him maximum cooperation in order to make the party achieve its aims and objectives.
The officials later met behind closed doors with Tukur, in what was described as their first official meeting.
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