The National Auditor of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, said the purported suspension of Chairman of the party in Ogun State, Chief Adedayo Dayo, by the State Working Committee was illegal and unconstitutional.
This is contained in a statement by Adeyanju and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
Dayo and Secretary of the party in the state, Alhaji Seminu Sodipo, were reported to have been suspended by nine members of the SWC on Monday in Abeokuta.
Adeyanju said that no state chapter of the party had the power to suspend or discipline its chairman without following due process as contained in the party’s Constitution.
He stated that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party had such power and could be enforced only after thorough investigation into allegations against the chairman.
“Chief Dayo being a member of the NEC of the party can only be disciplined or suspended from office by the NEC based on reports from the state chapter of the party upon thorough investigation.
“This has not been, and until this is done, the purported suspension is illegal,” Adeyanju said.
He added that the purported suspension became questionable as some of the SWC members involved in the action had left the party prior to the 2015 general elections.
“Many of them went to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) while some to the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the party had since replaced them from their respective zones.
“They are only coming back to cause crisis in the party. This, we will not allow to happen,” he said.
The national officer called on members of the party to remain calm over the plots carried out by “certain elements to cause unnecessary crisis in the state chapter of the party”.
Adeyanju assured that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party would address the issue appropriately in due course.
Dayo and Sodipo were suspended indefinitely over alleged financial impropriety, imposition of candidates and exclusion of party officials from the ongoing party congresses in the state.
