Ogun PDP Crisis Deepens, Chairman, Secretary Suspended

The crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party took a new turn on Monday as its chairman, Chief Adebayo Dayo, and secretary, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, were suspended from office indefinitely.

They were suspended by nine members of the party’s state working committee, who unanimously elected Chief Ibukunolu Ojosipe and Muritala Adegoke as interim chairman and secretary respectively.

But in a swift reaction, Dayo described their suspension as “illegal.”

The nine officers accused Dayo and Sodipo of alleged financial misappropriation, indiscriminate imposition of candidates and exclusion of party officials from the ongoing PDP congresses.

Speaking on behalf of the nine officers at a media briefing in Abeokuta, the Organising Secretary of Ogun PDP, Dr. Folasade Filani, said the suspension was in accordance with section 21(5) of the party’s constitution.

She said the chairman and secretary would remain suspended pending the time their cases would be determined by the appropriate organ of the party.

Filani said, “We passed a vote of no confidence in the state chairman, Mr. Bayo Dayo, and the state secretary, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, and further suspended the duo respectively from the party with immediate effect – having formed the quorum of over one-third as prescribed by section 21(5) of the party’s constitution pending the time their cases will be determined by the appropriate organ of the party.”

She said the PDP national secretariat would be duly informed about the development even as she urged party members to cooperate with the new interim officers.

Filani claimed that from the financial facts available between 2013 and 2015, it was discovered that over N250m was allegedly misappropriated and spent by the duo without approval and due process.