estranged members who now lead a parallel leadership of the party, by
suspending the leaders of the splinter group, including its chairman,
Abubakar Baraje, and secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
Others suspended are the group's deputy chairman, Sam Jaja, and a
former senator from Jigawa State, Ibrahim Kazaure.
The suspension came more than two months after the group broke free of
the party, and formed a parallel leadership. Efforts at reconciliation
between the group, which has the support of seven governors, and the
Bamanga Tukur leadership of the ruling party, have failed.
But Monday's decision appeared targeted at Mr Oyinlola who secured a
ruling of the Court of Appeal last Wednesday, reinstating the former
Osun State governor as the national secretary of the Tukur-led party.
Mr Oyinlola was earlier removed by the party from his position as
secretary after a High Court nullified his election to the post.
His removal, alongside other members of the party, and other
grievances including calls by the seven governors for the sacking of
Mr Tukur, culminated in the formation of the new Abubakar Baraje-led
faction.
In its ruling on Wednesday, the Appeal Court dismissed the decision of
the lower court to sack Mr Oyinlola and ordered he be immediately
reinstated.
On Friday, the Tukur-led PDP appealed against the decision at the
Supreme Court seeking to ensure the estranged member did not resume
office.
The Baraje faction said on Sunday the matter had been resolved by
President Goodluck Jonathan, whom the faction claimed had ordered Mr
Oyinlola's reinstatement. The group said it will ensure the former
governor resumed his post Monday at the national secretariat of the
party.
The party said it named its National Organising Secretary, Nasir
Abubakar, to replace Mr Oyinlola in acting capacity pending further
directives from the seven governors.
"The NWC (National Working Committee) commended and congratulated
President Goodluck Jonathan by once again improving on his democratic
credentials by directing for the immediate reinstatement of Prince
Oyinlola as the duly elected National Secretary of PDP not minding the
plots by some undemocratic within the system who want to portray our
party in bad light by embarking upon on an exercise in futility by
trying to lure the South-West PDP to write a petition against Prince
Oyinlola and use it to invite him to the Alh Dikko's Disciplinary
Committee and after suspends him," the group said.
But the presence of heavily armed security personnel early Monday at
the party office, made clear the party was in for even more
controversies.
The police officers were said to have been drafted to forestall
reported plans by Mr Oyinlola to forcefully enforce the Appeal court
ruling.
The governors supporting the faction, met early Monday ahead of plans
for a new meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan. It is not clear
how the group will react to the suspension of is leaders, particularly
the refusal of the Tukur led PDP to reinstate Mr Oyinlola.
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