The travails being witnessed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their members in Ogun State may not end soon as the party Thursday announced the suspension of the immediate past Governor of the State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
The party said ex-Governor Daniel was suspended over alleged anti-party activities. The suspension was ratified by his Ward 12 in Sagamu Local Government, Ogun East Senatorial District.
It could be recalled that prior to the 2011 elections, Daniel, who maintained he was a member of the PDP, went ahead to form another party, the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) and featured a candidate for the governorship election in the state against the candidate of the PDP in that election. He was among the 13 members of the party who faced sanctions for anti-party activities.
The other suspended members include Idowu Osho, Gbenga Sadiku, Yetunde Majolagbe, Mabawonju Shitta, Ayantola Lawal, Raufu Jinad, Oguntade Adeleke, Gbenga Buhari, Yinka Sotunde, Gbenga Sokoya, Zainab Lawal and Olu Osho.
Chairman of Ogun East Senatorial District of the party, Doyin Fakoya made the announcement at a meeting of the party at the Remo-North Federal Constituency, Remo-North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
According to the party, the former governor had made himself a tin god and needs to have his wings pruned to make him realise that the party desires the discipline of every member.
“Daniel has been suspended from PDP by his ward, Ward 12 Sagamu Constituency 2,” he said.
“As of today, I am the Senatorial Chairman of Ogun East Senatorial District. I have got a copy of a letter that Otunba Gbenga Daniel has been suspended. He is no longer a member of the PDP; he has been suspended by Ward 12 Sagamu, constituency 2.”
The party also released the report of an eight-man disciplinary committee led by Gbenga Salako and dated June 3, containing the notification of the suspension of Daniel and the 12 members accused of refusing to attend the party’s meetings at the ward level for a very long time.
The report, which indicted ex-governor Daniel, also claimed that some of the suspended members refused to appear before the panel for clarifications, and that this resulted in the invoking of the party’s constitution 2012 (as amended) Article 58 (1) a,c, e, f and j to suspend them.
The report noted thus: “Some members in different guises have defected to PPN and subsequently Labour Party. All party members who are loyalists of Otunba Gbenga Daniel defected to PPN and contested against the party in the last general elections and presently they have joined the Labour party while OGD still parades himself as a PDP member. He cannot be in PDP and Labour Party at a time.
On his part, Fakoya noted that Otunba Gbenga Daniel was the one that brought the PPN to Ogun State, and he is currently financing the Labour Party.
He declared: “You cannot be in two parties at the same time; you cannot be in PPN, PDP and Labour Party at the same time. Otunba Gbenga Daniel is like any other citizen that jumps political party; he was fortunate that he governed Ogun State for eight years, but is that the reason for being in three political parties at the same time?”
