Kwara PDP Crisis: Oyedepo drags Makarfi-led C’taker C’ttee to court over dissolution
By Mumini AbdulKareem
The crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) got messier, last night, with the decision of the Iyiola Oyedepo-led faction to challenge the dissolution of the party in court.
The faction in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Rex Olawoye, the party said it was left with no other option than to challenge what it described as “obvious illegality” adding that it was “highly disappointed” in the Makarfi leadership.
In suite No Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/500/2017 between Barrister Iyiola Oyedepo and 1 other and People’s Democratic Party and 3 others filed in Federal High Court Abuja, the party said it has served all relevant parties in the suites.
The faction expressed its “disappointment in the highly placed Senator Ahmed Makarfi who people see as a model but now subjecting himself to the ego of an individual” adding that “This action… contradicts his earlier slogan that “I would not take what belongs to somebody and give it to another”.
The statement read in parts: “The Kwara State People’s Democratic Party Central working Committee led by its Chairman Barr. Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo rose from its meeting today (Wednesday) after 3 hours of deliberation and resolved as follows: “Kwara State exco was duly elected in a competitive State Congress organised by the National Executive Committee and supervised by a Chairman, Chief Niyi Oyeleye and a Secretary, Alhaji Aliyu Tukur Gantsa on 10th of May 2016 at Stella Obasanjo Multipurpose Hall, Ilorin.
“The same exco has attended two consecutive National Conventions in Port Harcourt ably led by Chairman Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo. The First Convention held on 21st May 2016 which gave birth to the National Caretaker Committee with Sen. Ahmed Makarfi as the Chairman. The 2nd Convention conducted by Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee was held on 7th of August 2016. The Convention equally had Akogun’s Exco in attendance.
“That Barrister Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo has since been attending at least up to four NEC meetings called by National Caretaker Committee led by Sen. Ahmed Makarfi.
“That Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo is a prominent member of All PDP Chairmen Forum and indeed a member of Communiqué Committee after the Court of Appeal Judgement against the embattled Sen. Ahmed Makarfi.
“That when a group led by Fagbemi Sunday rose up after (6) six Months of election to lay claim of the chairmanship position in an election which he did not participate, the National Caretaker Committee assigned the Zonal Office of the North Central Zone to investigate and present a report to National Committee recommending the authentic group that should lead our Party in Kwara State.
“When it was noticed that a high level game was in the offing, Kwara State Exco under our Chairman Barrister Oyedepo served the National Caretaker Committee with a writ of summons dated July 26th 2017 and received by one Innocent Ezekiel, Secretary to the National Legal Adviser.
“That the said Reconciliation Committee set up at Zonal office was headed by Senator Solomon Ewuga. The report was ready but not yet submitted when the National Caretaker Committee led by Ahmed Makarfi despite of all these legal steps brazenly murdered the hope of Kwarans by dissolving the legally constituted People Democratic Party Kwara State Executive.
“This was done without recourse to the report from their own appointed reconciliation Committee. This was done at the whips and caprices of National Caretaker Committee with high level of impunity”.
