*RE: Ogun PDP Secretariat invasion Matters Arising from the Sikirulai Ogundele dissident group*
The Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party ably led by Engr. Adebayo Dayo has taken cognizance of the infantile, vacuous and poorly-put-together statement by the Sikirulai Ogundele-led dissident group with regards to the invasion and brigandage that the same self-styled outlaws perpetrated at the party's State Secretariat two days ago.
Ordinarily this type of statement put together by a consortium of desperados, is patently unworthy and ought not be dignified with any response; but for those who may be befuddled by the rantings, it is important we realign the issues and educate their minds so that they may attune themselves to what is the existential realities as far as Ogun PDP is concerned and in order for them not to continue this derisive revelry of 'adults rolling in the mud'
Now the issues have been compartmentalized into three, namely: The Supreme Court judgement and it's derivatives. The second is, The decision of the August 12th, 2017 non-elective convention. The third is, The substance of the invasion of the Party secretariat. Now we react as follows:
1. The Supreme Court judgement and it's derivatives:
The grand mistake that Senator Ahmed Makarfi's National Caretaker Committee (NCC) and his collaborators nationwide made in the aftermath of the Supreme Court judgement is that, they 'assumed' that judgement to be omnipotent, universal and a one-fit-all-jacket, that is applicable to all political situations within the PDP.
Whereas, the constitution of the PDP and the National Convention itself, are supreme document and superintending organ of the party respectively, they do not have superior powers over the grundnorm - The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN). A ruling or judgement of any court in Nigeria conveys the authority and force of the constitution and is not only superior to any other law, it is binding on every citizen therein. Chapter 1, subsections 1, 3 of the CFRN and Article 1, subsection 2 of the PDP constitution refers.
The case that was fought all the way to the Supreme Court (SC) had to do with the tussle for PDP national leadership, 'strictu sensu' between Sheriff and Makarfi. This has no congruence with the contention in ogun PDP. The emergence of the Engr Adebayo Dayo executive was concluded and approved by the 71st NEC long before the Porthacourt Convention that birthed Makarfi NCC.
What more, a Federal High Court judgement in suit FHC/LS/636/2016, had also validated the Congress that produced the Dayo executive long before Makarfi's NCC charade. Pray therefore, how does Makarfi's victory confer legitimacy on a dissident group of impostors from ogun state? It assaults logic for this antidemocratic elements to have assumed that having illegally pronounced themselves as parallel excos of the Party in ogun state, that the financial enticement and sympathetic affiliation with Makarfi could have made them become beneficiaries of the SC judgement - by inference!
What Makarfi and his allies in ogun state forgot is that the SC judgement did not give them 'wide and wild' powers to continuously contrive illegalities. The eminent jurists that delivered the judgement, despite its being fundamentally defective (a topic for another day) did not envisage that it will become a tool and licence for Makarfi to disregard valid court orders/judgements that predated it or will come after it - in matters that are exclusive of the case that went to the SC.
The sanctity of judicial pronouncements must not only be preserved, it's interpretation must be sacred; otherwise, men will become animals. What Sikirulai and his ilk did not envisage by their jaundiced assumptions on the SC judgement is that, Makarfi may come in to Abeokuta tomorrow, rape the wife of a party member and go away a free man - just because the SC has said he is the Chairman of the PDP and can do with blue murder!
Essentially, the FHC judgement validating Engr Adebayo in ogun state leadership matter is exclusive of the SC judgement validating Makarfi in national leadership matter; suffer to say that those hoping to domesticate Makarfi's victory in ogun state must be hallucinating and living in delusion of the bluest dye.
2. The decision of the August 12th, 2017 non-elective convention.
The National Convention in exercise of its powers, reserves the right to dissolve a state exco; but despite its supreme power in PDP matters, it does not have the right to dissolve an exco that has a FHC judgment protecting it 'inter alia'. As stated earlier, an FHC judgement has the force of the Federal constitution and it is superior to any party's statues. What Makarfi's NCC ought to have done in the case of ogun state is to look for a window to appeal that judgement (if at all it still exist) and not the ludicrous action of constituting itself into an appelate court by unilaterally dissolving it - hiding under the umbrella of the "Convention". It is illegal, preposterous and wayward excercise of unjustifiable judicial rights.
It may be have been convinient for Sikirulai Ogundele and his promoters to accept such dissolution because his executive never existed in the first instance. His case is that of the biblical woman who stood before King Herod in contention with another woman for the legitimate ownership of a baby. The genuine mother of that baby never conceded to have the child dismembered into two parts, but the fake mother was content with having the child killed and sliced. Engr. Adebayo Dayo will never allow his exco killed on the altar of unreasonable, foolish and illegal political expediency; but for the dissidents, it suits their selfish motives.
May the day never come when orders of the court no longer have the force execution and men go their way in blatant disregard. The folly in the argument propounded by Malik Ibitoye in the watery statement is that, no matter the powers of the convention, it can never impose itself on the national constitution. Adebayo Dayo exco was established by the PDP constitution and protected by the national constitution (via FHC), therefore the convention in this instance is limited and it's pronouncement on our executive is invalid, 'ultra vires', null and void; and having no consequence before the Law.
3. The substance of the invasion of the Party secretariat.
Let it be quickly noted that the statement under reference here as regards to the invasion of the Party secretariat was a cocktail of lies and innuendos unbeffiting of honourable men. Sikirulai Ogundele and his band of invaders not only lack concience, they are morally belligerent and murderous. It will be recalled that an Abeokuta Magistrate Court had on 2nd November, 2017 restrained the conduct of any new congress in ogun state and in that ruling - warned of the consequence of disobedience. The ruling further ordered the security agencies to swoop on anyone found in contravention of the subsisting order.
Now, in defiance of that order, a social gathering was held in Abeokuta purportedly in the name of a state congress. It wouldn't matter who conducted it, be it the illegal caretaker committee or Eddy Olafeso - who himself is a 'persona non grata' before the Law going by the ruling of an Ado-Ekiti FHC. Not done with that imprudent defiance, these elements had the temerity to storm the Party secretariat in a gestapo attempt to unseat the legitimate executive via brute force.
Contrary to the blatant lies told in the Ibitoye signed statement, they came without express permission of any security outfit. What actually transpired was that, they left the Onikolobo Legacy House where they hatched the evil plan to invade us and maim/kill our officials. They branched at the SARS office in Magbon and recruited a detachment to accompany them to take over the secretariat. They indeed followed but stayed a few meters away from the gate; ostensibly mindful of the illegal nature of the assignment.
Sikirulai and his marauders then barged inside, in company of about 30 thugs and police officers attached to Ladi Adebutu. They unleashed terror on staffs and inquired of Engr Bayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo, with intention to maim and possibly murder them. Those two escaped but others were unlucky. The bandits vandalized the offices, looted many items and carted away vital documents. It must be noted that is the second time Ogundele is invading the party secretariat having done same on the eve of our congress in 2016; for which he still standing criminal trials.
They danced around the facility in full glare of the media and chanted songs of war and victory. The political faces among them left a few minutes after, leaving behind the recruited thugs and street urchins to secure the place. We however moved in with the appropriate security agencies that mopped up the hoodlums and arraigned them in court for trials to commence soon. It is therefore surprising for them to now allude that those arrested where party members who were in the secretariat. This is most pathetic and shameful.
Finally, it must be in the interest of anyone who cares to listen that, the rule of law will always be superior to the rule of force. No matter how far lies travel, it will always be caught up by truth. There can be no two leadership of PDP in ogun state and Adebayo Dayo exco is protected till 2020. Those seeking for party control through the backdoor should have a rethink on the tortuous voyage and the attendant consequence to them.
[Signed]:
Bolaji Adeniji
State Publicity Secretary,
Ogun PDP.
08 /11 /2017
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