Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved the interim suspension of its Chairman, Pastor Philip Aivoji, and Mr. Tai Benedict, who serves as his deputy, pending the resolution of legal proceedings.
On April 14, the ward executives of Aivoji and Benedict suspended them, respectively, for alleged flagrant violations of the party constitution.
In a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary in Lagos State, Alhaji Hakeem Amode, stated that the State Working Committee reached the resolution after appraising the outcome of 2023 general elections.
He claimed that during a meeting on Tuesday, the group discussed ways to preserve the integrity of the state’s primary opposition party.
In light of this, he continued, the committee confirmed Chief Sunday Olaifa, vice-chairman of the Lagos PDP for the West Senatorial District, to serve as interim chairman while legal proceedings are ongoing.
He added that Olaifa, who represents the senatorial constituency of the suspended chairman, was chosen by the committee as vice-chairman.
Amode claimed that a seven-person disciplinary committee was also established by the committee to look into any issues involving the suspended officials.
The chief Abayomi Kuye, who serves as chairperson, Mrs. Esther Egbi, Princess M.A. Coker, Alhaji Isiaka Shodiya, Messrs. Kayode Ariwayo, Femi Oluokun, and Segun Oriyomi, are the other members of the disciplinary committee.
Amode added that the post-election disciplinary committee was expected to revert to the State Working Committee one week from the date of its constitution.
Members of the State Working Committee at the meeting were Olaifa, Mr Agboola Akinpelu (Youth Leader), Mr Ismail Olatunji (State Auditor) and Mr Adio Salami (State Organising Secretary) and Amode.
“The five members in attendance constitute the majority of the nine members in the State Working Committee out of the original 14 members that can take the decision.
“Three of the original 14 members had decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), thereby reducing the membership of the State Working Committee to 11.
“The embattled chairman and his deputy were part of the 11 remaining members and since they can’t adjudicate in their own case, only nine members were left to take decisions.
Some Lagos PDP leaders abandoned the party’s governorship candidate, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran, on the eve of the March 18 gubernatorial election to support either the Labour Party (LP) or the ruling APC.
The development was believed to have contributed to Adediran coming a distant third behind the winner, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of APC and the first runner up, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the LP.
Crisis is also rocking PDP at the national level with the suspension of its national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, shortly after the Feb. 25 and March 18 general elections.