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2023: PDP Candidates Drag Bode George, Bucknor, Others To Court Over Alleged Anti-Party
Forum of aggrieved candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 General Elections has instituted a suit against some leaders of the party over alleged anti-party.
They are alleging that some leaders of the party worked against them during the elections.
The group, compromising 24 candidates who contested various elective positions in 2023, is led by Otunba Segun Adewale aka Aeroland, the Candidate of the PDP for Lagos West Senatorial District in 2023 elections.
The suit, filed by the group before a Federal High Court in Lagos, is dated March 26, 2024, and it was instituted against the PDP, the 1st Defendant, and six others including Chief Bode George and Senator Kofoworola Bucknor (BOT members).
Others are Hon. Philip Aivoji, Lagos State PDP Chairman; PDP Lagos State Executive, Hon. Adedeji Doherty and Lagos State LGA PDP Chairmen Forum.
The case with suit No FHC/L/CS/534/24 was filed on behalf of the group by Omoniyi & Adeleke Law Firm (Primus Chambers) of 15, Alafia Street, Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo State.
It was stated in the suit that; “Our submission is that as a party leader, you cannot be a party leader of two political parties at the same time, hence, you cannot promote candidates of two parties at the same time.
“The principle of first Defendant’s political party does not allow its members to belong to any other group or groups that is not governed by its constitution.
“We humbly pray that the court holds that considering the evidence exhibited before this court that the activities of the 2nd to 7th defendants constitute party offences that must attract sanctions.
“This is in line with Articles 59 (4) and (5) of the first defendant’s constitution.
“The plaintiffs sought for an order of the court in mandating and directing the first defendant to sanction, specifically expel the second to the seventh defendants from the party for party offences and anti party activities.
The group elaborated on the matter at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos, where they asked the National leaders of the party to reprimand all the leaders that had worked against the party, and its constitution.
Adewale said that the group took the matter to court to strengthen democracy and ensure that those entrusted with party/public positions were held accountable for their actions and inactions.
According to him, it is demoralising and disheartening for members to spend their hard earned money to buy nomination and expression of interest forms with huge money, only for the leaders of the party to work against the candidates during elections.
“We emerged as the candidates of the party in our respective constituencies, and the party duly submitted our names to the INEC as candidates for the elections.
“Having gotten this guarantee from both the national and state arms of our party and upon the release of our names by the INEC to participate in the elections, we went to town to campaign.
“We were buoyed with the belief that we were not alone in the struggle to actualise our dreams, since we have our party structure and party leaders who had sworn to uphold the constitution of the party.
“As the election days drew closer, this belief started disappearing as we started hearing rumour that some key leaders of our party, including the state chairman, were making clandestine moves to work against us,” he said.
Adewale said that some foremost leaders of the party, including some members of the Board of Trustee and those of the National Executive Committee, went on air to endorse Labour Party few days to the election.
He stated that they all did this in flagrant disobedience to the constitution of the party, which they all swore to uphold.
These leaders, he said, openly worked for the ruling party, while still superintending over PDP elections.
Adewale disclosed that they had written to the National Leadership of the party in April 2023, complaining about the development.
He said that the group was seeking an explanation as to why the party collected money for forms, “and made us waste our time and resources, only for them to ask the people not to vote for us but we never got any response from them till date.”
According to him, “nobody from the party has deemed it fit to call us either for an explanation or even sympathise with us on our loss though it was engineered by the actors of the party.”
“As insensitive as these set of leaders are, they have not shown any remorse. Their position was also corroborated by members of our party LGA Chairmen Forum, who confirmed that they received orders from ‘above’ to work against us.
“We have therefore instituted a suit to the court to compel the party to expel all the actors, who openly worked against our interests.
“We are also asking the court to compel the party to pay damages for obtaining from us by false pretense.
“We believe that this case will reshape the behaviour of the leaders of our party as we are determined to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that they bear the consequences of their actions.
“We believe that this suit, though relatively new, will further strengthen our party and give hope to those who will be coming after us,” he said.
He alleged that the in 2019, the leaders of the PDP in Lagos State worked for the ADP, and worked for the Labour Party and the the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.
According to him, the candidates of the PDP lost hundreds of millions of naira in the process, saying that the leaders of the party did not hide their support for other political parties during the elections.
“They would come to the party when election is near, but it cannot be business as usual. We risk everything to contest elections, yet our national leaders would still call people to vote against us.
“People who ought to be our leaders are working against us and against Nigerians. This would be the first time candidates are coming together to sue the party.
“These so-called leaders have not won their polling units before. PDP is the only party, where all manners of exuberance are permitted and the people would still come back to vie for positions in the party,” he said.
Adewale however, said that this is the beginning of solutions to the problems bedevelling the party in Lagos State, saying that it was wrong for a BOT member of the party to work against it during elections.
He maintained that if they successfully take over the party from its current leaders, then the party would win elections in 2027.
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