The Ondo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has faulted the alleged suspension of it’s National Chairman and former Minister of State for Defence (Navy), Dr Olu Agunloye, over alleged anti-party activities and disregard for the party’s constitution.
It described it as ‘a huge joke taken too far by irresponsible rascals’.
The party had announced the alleged suspension of the former Minister of Power and Steel, in a letter obtained by Journalists on Thursday and signed by Ward 10 Chairman and Secretary, Mr Ajayi Adediran and Balogun Ojo, respectively.
The letter was dated March 28, entitled “Letter of ratification of the suspension of Dr Olu Agunloye”, addressed to the National Secretary and was also signed by the party’s Chairman and Secretary in Akoko North West Local Government, Chief Moses Aribisala and Elder Olorunfemi Festus, respectively.
Reacting, through a letter made available to Journalists in Akure on Friday signed by the state chairman of Mr Stephen Adewale and Secretary, Bola Aina respectively, it said the accusation made in the letter by those parading themselves as state and local government executives was false and irresponsible, and was intended to malign and discredit the personality of the party’s national leader.
The statement reads: “The Ondo State Social Democratic Party (SDP) has been alerted to a fake reports that initially appeared on April 21, 2022, with the headline. Since then, the fake story has spread like wildfire. The Ondo SDP is shocked by the falsehood depicted in this report and desires to utilize this means to urge journalists to always seek the truth before publishing any news that may mislead the general public.
“This irresponsible, unlawful and provocative publication serves as a reminder of what our great party endures daily at the hands of reckless and irresponsible politicians who place their selfish agenda above the party’s interest.
“In view of the misinformation and false reports that have been fed to the media and that have pervaded the public space, there is need to set the records straight. We hereby wish to use this medium to clarify the fictitious, baseless and unsubstantiated assertions for the benefit of our members across the world and the general public”.
The party noted that Dele Ogunbameru, who was referred to as the SDP chairman of Ondo State in the earlier publications had ceased to be State Chairman of the party, effective from Saturday April 9, 2022 when Congress of the party was held in Akure, in accordance with the electoral provisions, which was duly overseen by INEC officers.
“The few elements do not have the locus standi to present themselves as either state or local government executives in Ondo state because their tenure had long and since expired; and they failed to obtain and participate in the election to elect new state and local government executives at the congress. Therefore, on what basis did Ogunbameru and the faceless elements make the pronouncement?
” If the disgraced former party chairman says he has suspended Dr. Olu Agunloye, the question to ask him is ‘what is his locus?’ He was present at the Congress where the new State Working Committee members were elected but only to gather his friends later and say that his group had suspended Dr. Agunloye simply because the outcome of the congress did not favour him”.
He noted that Article 12.9 of the Party’s constitution, states that anyone seeking to be recognised as a member of the local government executive must be elected by the party’s local government congress, while Article 12.10 stated that the ward executive committee must be elected by the party’s ward congress.
“The party’s constitution does not recognise anyone who appears or claims any sort of leadership in our party outside of the declared constitutional method.
As a result, the faceless individuals posing as Chairman and Secretary in Akoko North West, as well as the so-called Ward Chairman and Secretary, are neither member nor leaders of our great Party, as none of them has passed through the Party’s Local Government or Ward Congresses.
“Recently, the 36 State Chairmen of our Great Party, rising from the NEC meeting convened in Abuja to assess the party’s progress, passed a vote of confidence in Agunloye’s leadership after recognising this unconstitutional conspiracy. The Chairmen made it clear that, in accordance with our great party’s constitution, the alleged suspension of the Agunloye “by some persons unknown to the party” had no effect.
“The new Ondo State Executive of the Social Democratic Party unequivocally states that the accusation made in the letter by these impersonators posing as State and Local Government Executives is false and irresponsible, and is intended to malign and discredit the personality of our great Party’s National Leader.
“The National Chairman, Dr. Olu Agunloye, was never involved in or accused of any act that could be construed as anti-party; rather, it was the former State Chairman, Mr. Ogunbameru, and his cronies who had been accused of discreditable activities such as associating with other Political Parties to the detriment of the SDP, leaving many Party members dissatisfied and aggrieved across the State”.
According to the party, “unfortunately, Ogunbameru’s behaviour is one of those diseases that afflicts our great party when elections approach. People like him allow themselves to be exploited by other politicians and political groups who are fearful of the SDP’s growing popularity in the country. He participated in anti-party activities and de-marketed our party while abdicating his duties and functions while in the saddle. Our big party became a shadow of its former self under his watchful gaze. He exhibited his incapacity to bring the party together in the state by displaying willful insubordination. He has since revealed his true colour by defecting to another party after being kicked out of the SDP”.
It stressed that the letter was also an attempt to sabotage the party’s progress, describing the suspension letter as nothing but ‘political rascality’.