Former party leader attacks state executive for suspension

A crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (Lagos Division) camp has sparked further controversy following a dispute over the suspension of the party’s former state chairman, Chief Segun Adewale (alias Aeroland), by the party’s executive committee in Lagos State.

While the Lagos State PDP executive committee said it was responding to a suspension notice served on it by Adewale’s ward in Alimosho Local Government Area, the party leader refuted his suspension in his ward.

Adewale stated that the state executive committee had violated the party constitution in his alleged suspension and called on the state executive committee to refer the matter of his suspension to the national executive body of the party.

In a letter dated June 19 and signed by State Secretary Soji Orioye, the state executive committee said the decision to suspend Adewale was taken at the party’s executive committee meeting on Wednesday.

Orioye said the committee, after due consideration, decided to receive the suspension letters against Adewale from his district and Alimosho Local Government Area.

He said the district had informed the party’s national executive committee of Adewale’s suspension in a letter dated June 12.

Orioye said the party leader’s suspension was due to alleged misconduct, including violations of the party constitution and anti-party activities.

“The National Executive Committee of the party notes with regret that it has received several petitions against Mr Segun Adewale, accusing him of bringing some prominent party leaders to court.

“He did this without examining the party’s conflict resolution mechanism, which normally amounts to a fundamental violation of the party’s constitution.

“The State Committee also takes judicial note of Mr Adewale’s disregard and disrespect for the constitution of the party and all other organs of the party.

“He did this by using the Nigerian police to arrest and harass some prominent party leaders and the key officials of the Alimosho Local Government Exco – his own local government,” Orioye said.

He said that the party’s state working committee was aware of its constitutional responsibility towards the party.

According to him, the committee gave Adewale an opportunity to defend himself in strict compliance with the principle of due process as guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria and contained in Section 57(5) of the Constitution of our great party (as amended in 2017).

He said this was done through a letter of invitation to an information meeting on June 12.

Orioye said Adéwale declined the invitation and did not take the opportunity to defend himself.

“For someone to fail to appear in person or through counsel before a commission of inquiry to attend the hearing and defend himself against these heinous allegations without legal cause or formal excuse constitutes a case without defence.

“Therefore, a natural presumption of guilt is appropriate with regard to the allegations made, and hence his decision not to accept the invitation.”

“In order to instill discipline, maintain order and defend, uphold and extend the constitutional supremacy of our great party, the PDP, the Lagos State Executive Committee of the party, after detailed deliberation on the matter, had no option but to ratify the suspension of Mr. Adewale as effected and decided by his Ward and Local Government.

“Therefore, Mr. Segun Adewale (alias Aeroland) is hereby suspended from our great party – Lagos State PDP – pursuant to Section 57, Subsection 3 and Section 58, Subsections (A), (B), (D), (I) and (L) of our party’s Constitution (as amended in 2017),” he said.

In an interview with the Nigerian News Agency, Lagos State PDP Chairman Philip Aivoji confirmed the letter and said the decision to suspend the former state chairman was taken jointly by the state executive committee.

“It was the decision of the entire executive committee,” Aivoji told NAN by phone.

National Exco pleads with me to stay in PDP – Party Chief

In his reaction, Adewale explained that the party’s constitution only allows for the suspension of party members or party leaders from the district. He himself had not been suspended by his district for any alleged misconduct.

Reacting to NAN, Adewale said: “It is unfortunate that those party leaders and executives who were supposed to be expelled from the party for working against the PDP in the 2023 general elections are suspending me even though I stayed to defend the party and its votes.

“I am still in the party, I am still the ex officio representative of the South West Party, representing Lagos in the zone and the national body has not removed me.

“Even the national association is begging and pleading with me to stay.

“The premise on which the state committee is talking about suspension is flawed because the Constitution says I must be suspended from my district and there is no such thing as suspension from my district.”

Adewale said that instead of sensationalizing the news of his suspension in the media, the state government should implement its plan first at the zonal level and then at the national level.

“If the suspension is genuine and not based on sensationalist journalism or propaganda, the letter should be sent to the South West Zone of the party and to the national leadership in Abuja.

“You should take the suspension letter to Abuja now. You should inform the PDP national association and the South West Zone Executive Committee, not the press. We are waiting for the letter.”

“They can suspend it, but it is the national body that will ratify it.”

He claimed that former PDP vice-chairman and member of the Board of Trustees, Chief Olabode George, was being blamed for “the whole drama surrounding my suspension.”

“The reason for the suspension is because I have confronted Bode George and repeatedly challenged him for betraying the party every four years on the eve of elections,” Adewale said.

According to him, he did not attend the meeting of the disciplinary committee of the national executive committee despite the invitation because its membership consisted mainly of people who had worked against the party in the last elections.

“Those who come to court must have a clean slate. They are the ones we must suspend because they have worked against the party,” Adewale said.

NAN.