TheCable

A federal high court in Lagos on Wednesday restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from going ahead with plans to dissolve the Adebayo Dayo-led executive of the party in Ogun state.

Okon Abang, a justice of the high court, in a brief ruling, ordered parties to maintain status quo and refrain from acting on any dissolution plan pending the determination of a contempt suit filed by the Dayo-led executive of the party.

The Dayo-led executive, believed to be loyal to Buruji Kashamu, a chieftain of the PDP, had initiated contempt of court suit against Dimeji Bankole, former speaker of the house of representatives.

Apart from Bankole, others mentioned as alleged contemnors in the committal proceedings are the PDP; Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun state; and Dave Salako, a former member of the house of representatives from the state.

In the committal proceedings, it was alleged that Bankole, Daniel and Salako have been indulging in series of activities to remove the Dayo-led executive, despite two separate judgments of the federal high court affirming the legality of the executive.

When the case came up last week Wednesday for the first time via ex-parte application, Abang had granted leave to the applicants to serve the alleged contemnors with the processes in the matter via substituted means.

The ex-parte application was argued by R.A Oluyede, lawyer to the applicants – Adebayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo – who sued for themselves and on behalf of Ogun state PDP executive.

When the matter came up again on Wednesday, only Bankole was represented in court by Afolabi Fashanu, a senior advocate of Nigeria.

It was established from the records of court that Daniel and Salako were yet to be served with the processes in the matter.

Fashanu asked for adjournment, stating that the matter could not go on since others were yet to be served.

In response, Oluyede urged the court to order parties to maintain status quo.

He said the alleged contemnors, despite the pendency of the case, were making serious efforts to present the court with fait accompli by going ahead with the plans to dissolve the Dayo-led executive.

In a brief ruling, Abang granted the prayer and ordered parties to maintain status quo.

The matter was subsequently adjourned to November 25.

Abang had, at the last adjourned date, declined to grant an interim injunction restraining the national integration committee of the PDP from dissolving the Ogun state executive committee of the party.

The judge also declined to grant interim injunction restraining the alleged contemnors from conducting themselves in such manner that is designed to disrupt the structure of the Ogun PDP as presently constituted.

Also, Abang declined to issue an interim injunction restraining the alleged contemnors from participating in any activities of the PDP in Ogun state including meetings, congresses and or primaries except as organised by the Dayo-led executive.

According to the judge, the justice of the matter requires that the alleged contemnors be allowed to present their side of the issue before a decision is taken.

In a supporting affidavit, the applicants alleged that just as Ondo state PDP executive was recently dissolved, Bankole, Daniel and Salako have also been making frantic moves to ensure that the Ogun PDP executive is equally dissolved, with the aim of turning over the party structure in the state to their surrogates and loyalists.

They alleged that because Bankole was nursing the ambition to become Ogun state governor, he was not comfortable with the present PDP executive in the state, and had been attempting to ensure that the present executive is sacked by the national integration committee of the PDP.

The applicants further alleged that Daniel and Salako were also not comfortable with the current executive of the party in the state as the Dayo-led executive was perceived to be working against their political interest.