Fayose threatens PDP with lawsuit, gives party 72-hour ultimatum to apologize for suspending him
Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state, has asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to apologize for suspending him from the party.
The PDP national working committee (NWC), on March 24, suspended Fayose and some members of the party for allegedly engaging in anti-party activities.
However, the PDP, on March 30, reversed the decision and asked members to respect the party’s constitution.
In a letter dated March 31 and addressed to Iliya Damagum, PDP acting national chairman, Akinwale Kol-Taiwo, Fayose’s lawyer, said that his client was suspended without cause.
Kol-Taiwo noted that the reasons the party relied on to suspend his client are “libellous and defamatory” with the intent to tarnish his image.
The letter reads, “We are further informed by our client that by the letter dated 24th March 2023, the reversal of our client’s suspension from Peoples Democratic Party which was done without recourse to laid down procedure/due process of law as contained in the constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) was requested.
“The PDP, in retracing its steps and by implication admitting the content of the letter dated 24th March 2023, reversed the suspension of our client by a press release issued on 30th March 2023 through the office of the national publicity secretary of the party.
“The aforesaid libellous press release was designed to smear and tarnish the good reputation of our client in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society, as well as to subject our client to odium, ridicule, and public opprobrium in presence of his political associates and the general public.
“While we do not contend that the PDP reserve the power(s) to take disciplinary action against any erring member(s), it is much more pertinent to state that the said power(s) to take disciplinary action is not absolute, the said power(s) to take disciplinary action is limited to doctrine of fair hearing as enshrined in the party’s constitution (as amended in 2017) and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended.
“As such, your disciplinary powers must not be seen to infringe on the right of another citizen or person.
“There is no doubt that the action of the national working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (NWC) in this purported suspension saga acted rashly on baseless and unfounded allegations, thereby making our party not just look weak, but disorganised.”
Kol-Taiwo added that if the PDP fails to issue an apology to Fayose within 72 hours of receiving the letter, he will commence legal actions against the party.
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