Fayose threatens lawsuit, gives PDP 72 hours to apologise for suspending him

Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state, has asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to apologise for suspending him from the party.

On March 24, the PDP national working committee (NWC) suspended Fayose and some members of the party over alleged anti-party activities.

On Thursday, the PDP reversed the decision and asked members to respect the party’s constitution.

In a letter dated March 31 and addressed to Iliya Damagum, PDP acting national chairman, Akinwale Kol-Taiwo, Fayose’s lawyer, said his client was suspended without cause.

Kol-Taiwo said the reasons the party relied on to suspend his client are “libellous and defamatory” with the intent to tarnish his image.

“We are further informed by our client that by the letter dated 24th March 2023, the reversal of our client’s suspension from Peoples Democratic Party which was done without recourse to laid down procedure/due process of law as contained in the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (as amended in 2017) was requested,” the letter reads.

“The Peoples Democratic Party, in retracing its steps and by implication admitting the content of the letter dated 24th March 2023, reversed the suspension of our client by a press release issued on 30th March 2023 through the office of the national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“The aforesaid libellous press release was designed to smear and tarnish the good reputation of our client in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society, as well as to subject our client to odium, ridicule, and public opprobrium in presence of his political associates and the general public.

“While we do not contend that the Peoples Democratic Party reserve the power(s) to take disciplinary action against any erring member(s), it is much more pertinent to state that the said power(s) to take disciplinary action is not absolute, the said power(s) to take disciplinary action is limited to doctrine of fair hearing as enshrined in the Peoples Democratic Party Constitution (as amended in 2017) and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended. As such, your disciplinary powers must not be seen to infringe on the right of another citizen or person.

“There is no doubt that the action of the national working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (NWC) in this purported suspension saga acted rashly on baseless and unfounded allegations, thereby making our party — the Peoples Democratic Party — not just look weak, but disorganised.”

Kol-Taiwo said if the PDP fails to issue an apology to Fayose within 72 hours of receiving the letter, he will commence legal actions against the party.