PDP National Convention: Panel gives reasons for disqualification of four candidates

The panel charged with screening candidates for the forthcoming national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has explained why it disqualified four candidates from elections into party offices.

The panel, led by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, also said it cleared 27 others for the contest.

Below is a list of those barred from the election and the reasons the committee gave for its decisions.

Why four aspirants were disqualified:

The screening committee explained in its report why four of the aspirants were disqualified.

Adewale Abiodun Oladipo

The PDP committee said there was a petition against him which had been established.

a) Undermining the Authority of the National Convention (2016 National Convention) to act as PDP National Secretary after the dissolution of the National Working Committee and the appointment of the National Caretaker Committee.

b) By engaging lawyers on behalf of the PDP without lawful authority, thereby exposing the party to inappropriate financial liabilities and court actions.

All these are infractions against Section 58 (1) (b), (c), (h), & (j) of the Party’s Constitution (as amended in 2017) which are punishable under Section 59 (1) (e) of the Party’s Constitution.

He is hereby not cleared by the Committee.

Oke Muo-Aroh

Reason: Not cleared for violating the zoning formula. The Committee established that the position of the PDP National Secretary was micro-zoned to Imo State, pursuant to the Principle of Rotation and Zoning of the Party’s offices as prescribed in our Party’s Constitution. The position was micro-zoned to Imo State and he is from Anambra State.

He is hereby not cleared by the Committee.

Olafeso Eddy Eniola

Reason: There were petitions against him.

a) He instituted a legal action against the party, among others, to prevent the National Convention from holding without exhausting the party’s in-house mechanism, contrary to Section 58 (1) (L) and thereby committed a misconduct punishable under Section 59 (1) (a) of the Party’s Constitution as amended in 2017.

b) A notice of discontinuance filed on 15th October, 2021, was an afterthought, because it was filed after the court refused his application for injunction to stop the National Convention.

For these reasons the Committee has not cleared him.

Akintan Oludaisi

Reason: There was a petition against him.

a) He instituted a legal action against the party, among others, to prevent the National Convention from holding without exhausting the Party’s in-house dispute resolution mechanism, contrary to Section 58 (1) (e) of the Party’s Constitution as amended in 2017.

b) A notice of discontinuance filed on 15th October, 2021, was an afterthought, because it was filed after the court refused his application for injunction to stop the PDP National Convention.(Premium Times)

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