Embattled People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman for Oye Ekiti in Ekiti State, Honourable Sunday Ojo resurfaced on Sunday since he was issued a suspension letter to hand a suspension letter to the immediate member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly representing Oye Ekiti Constituency 1 in the 5th Assembly, Hon. Dr. Samuel Omotoso from the party.
It will be recalled that Honourable Ojo was suspended by the State Working Committee (SWC) of People’s Democratic Party in Ekiti State upon recommendations by the Disciplinary Committee and in line with the Party Constitution
“Honourable Sunday Ojo’s suspension on July 17th, 2019 was hanged on his fraudulent activities, permanent refusal to call the local government meeting of the party, betrayals of trust on his part, open drunkenness, disorderly conduct in public beer parlours, conversion of local government party properties and acts bringing the party to disrepute in the community were identified as reasons for his suspension for a period of six months from the party”.
According to his suspension letter, Hon. Sunday Ojo was first given a two- week suspension subject to good behaviour but when another petition was submitted exhibiting more ugly events, acts and actions of Local Government Party Chairman, his case was reviewed by the State Working Committee (SWC), and suspension was converted from two weeks to six months with a view to increasing his sanctions if he refused to change from dragging the image of the party in the mud.
However, Honourable Ojo in the suspension order placed on Dr. Omotoso on Sunday accused him of imposing himself on the party at the local government level.
But in a swift reaction to the suspension on Sunday night in Ado Ekiti, Dr. Omotoso maintained that he had not been suspended from the party. He corroborated his claims with the fact that the Chairman was suspended for a period of six months by the Central Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party in Ekiti State as a result of the petition sent and signed by executive members of the local government.
Omotoso revealed that Honourable Ojo was investigated by the State Disciplinary Committee and the resolutions reached were passed by the State Working Committee of the party before his suspension was handed down to him
In the words of Dr. Omotoso, “I am not part of them. I have no issues with them. I was not suspended by the party. The local government party chairman was suspended by the state working committee for 6 months. Any information that states that I have been suspended from the party should be disregarded”.
Speaking further, Omotoso averred that “no one can put something on nothing. Nothing comes from nothing. Since there is no suspension anywhere, I cannot respond to something that doesn’t exist. There is no division within the PDP of Ekiti State”.
In his reaction to the impasse, the State Legal Adviser of the People’s Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Barrister Sunday Olowolafe said he was bemused that Dr. Omotoso or any member of the party was suspended by the already ousted local government party Chairman.
Barrister Olowolafe who was the only state officer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, that could be reached as at the time of filing this report clarified that “the party is not aware about suspension of any of its members from Oye Local Government or any local government except those earlier sanctioned in the appropriate manner in line with the Party’s Constitution and if such action has been taken at any inappropriate quarters, it is null and void”.
For those that may report such, Olowolafe said “they should expect the ugly consequences. By all standards, wards and local government councils do not have such power to suspend party members. The State Working Committee only warned and suspended erring members such as Oye Local Government Party Chairman for acts of gross misconduct. The position of the State Working Committee is that we are not aware of such illegality. You know what best to do particularly when an act is either illegally carried out or carried out by a persona non grata”, the PDP State Legal Adviser submitted.
Packaged by Emmanuel Adeniran
