Bamanga Tukur
It is no longer news that a court of law last Friday removed former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola from the Wadata House, as the National Secretary of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The presiding judge, Abdul Kafarati, who ruled on a suit filed by a factional Chairman of Ogun State PDP, Adebayo Dayo, said the election of Oyinlola contravened the party’s stipulated procedure.
The applicant had maintained that since two separate judgments of a Federal High Court in Lagos nullified the South West Zonal congress that produced the ousted Secretary, his continued stay in office was illegal, null and void.
In his reaction to the verdict, Oyinlola’s counsel Toyose Oyekunle, gave a hint that his client would file an appeal.
“The whole world saw the PDP National Convention held in Abuja where Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola was elected National Secretary.”
“The election was conducted in the open at the Eagle Square Abuja and one wonders how the court arrived at its decision that Prince Oyinlola was elected at the Zonal Congress held in Oshogbo, Osun State,” he said.
But hardly had the dust of that judgement settled, that Bamanga Tukur, the unsettled National Chairman of the party, in an astonishing move on the first working day of the week, directed the deputy secretary, Solomon Onwe, to take over as acting secretary.
It is indeed curious and also important to note that his action came about the same day the party’s National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon, said the party would appeal the ruling.
Already, the move seen as a heavy blow to the camp of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and state Governors has ignited anger and discordant tones among party members.
Tukur who is longing to gain a major – if not total – control of the party in a terse statement he directly authorized, said “Barrister Onwe shall by this directive conduct all correspondences of the party, issue notices of meetings of the National Convention, the National Executive Committee, the National Caucus and the National Working Committee as stipulated in the Constitution of our great Party.”
“This directive takes immediate effect and is hereby communicated to all the levels and offices of the Party,” he added.
However, his move was not entirely unexpected. He is having a running battle with Oyinlola, who is leading a virile rebellion against him, often disagreeing on a number of issues.
The conflict further escalated by the unending drama which arose from the disputed congress in his home state of Adamawa.
Tukur has never hidden his desire to ensure his loyalists emerge as members of the state executive committee, a decision which has irked Governor Murtala Nyako, who like all other Nigerian states’ helmsmen, wants aggregate control of party excos in their respective domain.
At the moment, it is an open secret that PDP Governors are reportedly queuing behind Nyako as they are of the opinion that an injury to one affects all, sooner or later.
The thinking is that if they keep silent over the matter, a charging Tukur backed by an unpredictable President who helped him get the top job, may extend the onslaught and unilaterally decide to replace their states’ excos.
An Insider who spoke to DailyPost remarked that the intrigues playing out are mainly about the 2015 elections.
While President Goodluck Jonathan is believed to be eyeing a re-election even though he is yet to declare, some Northern Governors banking on the support of Obasanjo and other political heavy weights are expected to run against him.
The stalwart in a chat with DailyPost in Abuja disclosed that: “More than half of our governors are in their second and final tenure. They are aware of the fact that if the President eventually takes a shot and wins without their support, they are finished.”
“So what they are trying to do is to ensure that one of them gets into Aso Rock in 2015. That way they are sure of protection against likely prosecution from anti-corruption agencies. But we are all hoping that we will reach an amicable resolution soon,” he said.
To many observers, it is now glaring, Tukur’s comment after a peace parley held last week at the presidential villa which says “I can assure that like any other family, there may be disagreements but based on principle, not disagreement for anything. We have resolved all our differences”, was a mere political statement which was corroborated by his sudden directive.
Sources say that in case the Governors remain inflexible on their current stance, the president may deal with them to prove he is no weak fellow after all.
The recent intrusion into states like Jigawa, Rivers and Delta by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is perceived as one of the pointers.
Oyinlola in the meantime has approached the Abuja Division of the Appeal Court, asking it to reinstate him.
His argument is that Justice Karafati of the Federal High Court sacked him from office “against the weight of evidence.”
“The learned trial erred in Law when he overruled the Preliminary Objection to the jurisdiction of the court and assumed jurisdiction and delivered Judgment.”
No date has been fixed for hearing on the case.
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