Ogun PDP expels Jimi Lawal for ‘working to wreck the party’ (updated)

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun has expelled Jimi Lawal, a governorship hopeful in the state.

Lawal, Muyiwa Odebiyi, Moruf Olajide, and Ademola Ojoye were expelled following the recommendation of the party’s disciplinary committee.

In October, the party suspended Lawal and some members for violating its constitution by conducting and participating in an “illegal” governorship primary election.

A disciplinary committee was subsequently set up to review their actions.

Announcing their expulsion on Wednesday, Tola Odulaja, chairman of the committee, said the party’s action followed due process.

Odulaja said Lawal had been “working behind the scene to wreck” the party.

He said Lawal and his associates were expelled for gross misconduct, forgery, anti-party activities and disobedience to the PDP constitution.

LAWAL’S CAMPAIGN COUNCIL KICKS

Meanwhile, the campaign council of the PDP governorship hopeful has kicked against his expulsion.

Austin Oniyokor, project director of the campaign organisation, said Lawal’s expulsion is a “comical act taken too far”.

“This is a joke taken too far. Indeed, it is illegality upon illegality, all amounting to illegalities,” he said in a statement.

“How can these people take such a step when the initial illegal act is already a subject of litigation at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta; and the parties, including the active participants had been served the court summons.”

OGUN PDP CRISIS

The PDP in Ogun is embroiled in an internal crisis that has polarised the party into factions.

TheCable had reported how a federal high court in Abeokuta nullified the parallel governorship primaries conducted by the PDP in the state.

Two factions of the PDP conducted primaries that produced Oladipupo Adebutu and Segun Sowunmi as candidates of the party for the 2023 governorship election.

The primary that produced Sowunmi, which was held at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abeokuta, the state capital, was said to have been monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC).

However, the primary that produced Adebutu, a former member of the house of representatives, was held at the Olusegun Obasanjo presidential library in the state capital.

Lawal had filed a suit before the court to contest the delegate list used by the Sikirulahi Ogundele faction of the party during the primary which was held at the Olusegun Obasanjo presidential library.

Other candidates had also approached the court to challenge the authenticity of the Ogundele-led executive of the party in the state.

The court, in nullifying the governorship primary elections, held that it was not conducted in line with the principles of the electoral act.

O.O. Oguntoyinbo, the presiding judge, had ordered that a rerun should be conducted.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that Jimi Lawal was expelled, not suspended.