Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has appointed the state Deputy Chairman, Mr Tola Alabere, as the acting chairman of the party in the state.
This development followed the suspension of the state chairman, Mr Fatai Adams, by the State Working Committee of the party on Tuesday.
Adams was accused of anti-party activities.
The statement announcing the suspension of the chairman was signed by nine of the 10 members of the SWC, who included, Tola Alabere, Dayo Awude, Oluseye Olujimi, Amos Fadope, Moses Awofade, Boluwaji Bamidele, Olawumi Fasonu, Dare Akinwale and Kennedy Peretei.
Speaking with journalists after the SEC meeting, at the party’s secretariat in Akure, the state capital on Wednesday, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Kennedy Peretei, said the suspension of the chairman remained as it had been affirmed by the SEC.
He said, “Today, the State Executive Committee of the party has validated the suspension of the state chairman (Adams). They have affirmed what the State Working Committee did.
“By our constitution, the SWC is to see the day-to-day running of the party, in other words, the SWC runs the party on behalf of the SEC, So whatever action the SWC takes overtime must be submitted to the SEC for approval, which is what we just did today.
“Again because the constitution has envisaged the chairman may not attend the meeting, it provides for the deputy to step in immediately in an acting capacity that is what has happened today. ”
It was reported that Adams was suspended by nine out of the 10 members of SEC of the party on Tuesday.
He was alleged to have been involved in anti-party activities.
However, Adams had stated that the move to suspend him was politically motivated, to remove him, for them to hatch their plans for the forthcoming bye-election in Akoko North East/North East Federal Constituency in February.
He said he remained the chairman of the party in the state, saying the party would not be taken over by unscrupulous elements who were out there to destroy the democratic values which the party is known for.
“This will not stand, we know what they are trying to do, they plan to remove me so that they can execute their evil agenda for the Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency bye-election and we will not fall for that,” he reacted
Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Debo Ologunagba, has declared the action of the Ondo SWC null and void, emphasising that the state committee lacked the authority to suspend the chairman without the approval of the NWC.