Ekiti PDP crisis: Our expulsion contempt of court —Olatunde, others

Members of the executive of the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose expulsion was announced by the party on Friday, have described the action as a contempt of court, saying the state chairman of the party risked jail term.

Mr Tunde Olatunde, who is leading a group of the expelled members, in reaction to the development, said that the manner in which four members of his group were expelled eroded the integrity of the court of law.

He said they had filed a process before an Ekiti State High Court against the party to restrain it from taking any punitive measure against them over their revolt against Faleye.

SEE How People Compared Governor Fayose to Nasir El-Rufai On Twitter

Olatunde; Dr Tope Aluko, secretary of the party; Tunji Olanrewaju, the auditor and women leader, Mrs Modupe Oyebode, were on Friday expelled from the party for alleged anti-party activities.

Olatunde, who spoke at the wedding of the embattled Secretary of the party, Dr Aluko, in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, said for Faleye to have taken the option of expulsion when a court process was pending in court, was  tantamount to contempt of court.

He threatened that his group would use all constitutional means to seek redress and ensure that those found culpable are committed to jail.

He said: “Shortly after we were suspended, we went to court to challenge our suspension while also asking court to restrain the party from taking further decision pending the time the reconciliation committee to be constituted by the national working committee arrives in Ekiti.

“What really marvelled us was that, Faleye and his ilk were duly served with all the court processes. But we decided to stay action in the pursuit of the case because of the respect we have for the NWC which had indicated interest to resolve the matter.”

But the publicity secretary of the party, Mr Jackson Adebayo, denied that they had breached any law, saying “there is no contempt of court in anything that the state executive committee of the party did because the expulsion was done before the aggrieved went to court.

“Our party is a law abiding organisation which will continue to respect the rule of law, that’s why we have followed all known due process in the matter at hand.”

Meanwhile, the 16 Local Government Secretaries of PDP in Ekiti have declared their support for the expulsion of former State Secretary of the party, Mr T.K.O. Aluko; Woman Leader, Busola Oyebode;  Vice Chairman (North), Tunde Olatunde and Assistant Secretary, Tunji Olanrewaju from the party.

The PDP Local Government Secretaries, in a release issued in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday, and signed by its Chairman, Bayo Awe, also hailed the emergence of Mr Adejorin Temitope as the State Secretary of the party.

Bayo Awe, who is also the Ado LG PDP Secretary said the expulsion of the four members of the party, especially Aluko was long overdue.
He pledged the unalloyed support and loyalty of the 16 LG party secretaries to the new State Secretary, the party and the State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose.

The secretaries, who described the role played by Aluko during the impeachment saga as ignoble, warned that the party will no longer tolerate indiscipline and disloyalty.

“If you are not comfortable with the party and its leader, Governor Fayose, the most honourable thing to do is to leave the party instead of working with opposition to destroy the party from within.
“Expulsion of Aluko in particular will serve as deterrent to others who see themselves as too big for the party and also instill discipline in the party,” Awe said.